Keitaro: The Hater Of Women
by Necromonger
Summary: Events that occurred in Keitaro's life have lead him to despise women. How will he react when he is assigned manager at Hinata Sou, an all girls dormitory? Please give me one week to send outlines to those who requested
1. Prologue: Origin Of The Hate

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of it's characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Prologue: Origin of the Hate**

Women…

The one weakness of all men. Although they may seem fragile in appearance they are twice as dangerous as men and three times as deadly. Some of the greatest men in the world have fallen victim to the charm and allure of the female.

What is it about women that can make the most callous of men act like nervous imbeciles?

How is it that the man who is supposed to be the stronger of the species is measured in worth according to how women see him?

Even though the man may see himself as in control it is in fact the woman that wields the true power. The man who no woman shows any interest in is seen as useless and branded a failure. Even the fellow man will turn his back on his friends for a woman.

This is the conclusion that dawned to Keitaro Urashima after twenty years of hellish misery that he had to endure.

Who is Keitaro Urashima you ask?

Well this poor soul has just been kicked out of his house by his own mother. His own mother had called him useless because he had failed to get into Toudai University twice and called him a pervert because she believed that he had tried to rape Kanako.

"Money isn't the root of evil. Women are!" yelled Keitaro.

He received many strange looks from people as he walked across the bridge leading to the famous Hinata Inn which was owned by his grandmother.

But maybe we are jumping ahead of ourselves. Let us go back and take a look at Keitaro's childhood. Maybe we will find our answers to his irrational loathing of females.

**-------------------------------**

Rewind Back 14 Years:

As a child Keitaro was an only son of Mr. and Mrs. Urashima and lived in a little house with his parents just a couple hours away from his Grandmother Hina and his Aunt Haruka. Even though Keitaro's parents would take him every weekend to visit his aunt and grandmother they realized that he seemed lonely and that he was a very quiet boy.

"I think Kei-kun needs a playmate. He's such a sweet boy and it's not healthy for him to be so quiet," said Mr. Urashima.

"Honey you know that I can't bear any more children," replied Mrs. Urashima.

"Maybe we can adopt a child," said Mr. Urashima.

"I have always wanted to have a little girl," said Mrs. Urashima thoughtfully.

"It's settled then," Mr. Urashima said with finality "Let's keep it a surprise for Kei-kun."

One Week Later:

"Kei-kun we have a surprise for you," announced Mrs. Urashima holding the hand of a four year old girl with raven black bangs that shaded over her eyes.

"Don't be shy honey, come on," whispered Mrs. Urashima as she gently pulled Kanako into the living room.

"What's the surprise!" yelled Keitaro as he ran into the living room to see his parents standing with a little girl.

"Kei-Kun say hello to your little sister Kanako," said Mr. Urashima.

"Hello Kanako-chan," chirped Keitaro with a warm smile on his little face.

Kanako's face brightened at the warmth and kindness radiating from the boy in front of her. She felt an emotion that she had not felt after he parents had died. It was the feeling of intense love that she felt for her new brother. However part of this love was something that was not supposed to be felt between siblings. In time this love would grow to consume her but for now it had only started to bloom and was nothing to be concerned about.

"Hello onichan," said Kanako.

"Come on let's go play Kanako," Keitaro took hold of her hand and lead her to his room.

"Isn't it great Keitaro finally has someone to play with," Keitaro's father happily exclaimed.

"Yes and I've always wanted a daughter," added Mrs. Urashima.

**-------------------------------**

Fast Forward Ten Years:

"Oh God, don't look now but here comes that perverted dork," whispered Miko.

"Did you hear about how he tried to grope his sister?"

"That's so sick what a creepy loser," replied Nina.

Keitaro's life had become living nightmare during the last couple of years. He had been labeled an unattractive loser by the girls. He had no guy friends because they were all afraid of what the reactions of the girls would be if they were seen around with Keitaro. No guy wanted to ruin his chances of getting a girl just to help out the poor boy. Keitaro was starting to slip into a depression. His only two friends Haitani and Shirai outright refused to be seen with Keitaro at school. However unlike Keitaro the Haitani and Shirai actually were perverted and were desperate to get with any girl at the school.

Finally the sixth period bell rang and school was out. Keitaro speed walked down the hallway. He had to get out before…

"Onichan wait up for me!" yelled Kanako.

_Damn_! thought Keitaro _I was almost out_.

Kanako ran up to Keitaro and grabbed hold of his hand. Keitaro noticed the looks he was getting glares from the other kids and forced his hand out of her grasp.

"Kanako you have to stop this," he stated.

"Stop what?" she asked innocently "You always used to hold my hand on our way to school."

"Kanako be reasonable, we were in elementary school. We can't do that anymore. Please try to understand this isn't right. You're family and I love you but you've started acting strangely."

Keitaro was well aware of Kanako's growing feelings for him. His instincts were telling him to stay away from her at all costs however his kind and giving heart would not allow him to.

Keitaro sighed "Let's just go home."

The next day Keitaro walked down the dull plain hallways of his high school when he saw a group beginning to form in the middle of the hall.

_Looks like the girls have found themselves another victim_, he thought to himself.

The girls at his school hung around in tight groups and they always looked out for each other. Every time they had trouble with a certain boy they would corner him and harass and humiliate him by hurling insults and accusations. The sad thing was that the other boys would just stand their laughing or they would join in at hurling insults at him. Keitaro was just about to walk by the group without giving another thought when he heard the boy's voice.

"What did I do? I didn't do anything" said the voice.

_That's Haitani's voice!_ thought Keitaro.

Keitaro walked into an opening in the crowd. Apparently the girls were too preoccupied with Haitani to notice him and mock him.

"How can you lie to my face like that you stupid jerk!" yelled Miko "we all know that you tried to two time me by taking advantage of poor Takako."

"You got it backwards Miko. Takako is the one that came on to me." pleaded Haitani.

"Liar!" screamed Miko as she slapped Haitani hard across the face.

Haitani flashed back to all of the things that he had to do just to go out with Miko. Even though Shirai had told him that she liked him, Miko like most other girls played hard to get. Finally after all of the gifts and love poems and the long lecture he received from her father about treating his daughter right the two of them finally became an item. However Miko would flirt with other guys even when she was with Haitani without any remorse. She would show up ridiculously late on dates and would make him buy anything she saw that she liked. Haitani had spent his last two paychecks on gifts for her. But the problems didn't stop there most of the time Miko would be too "busy" to even go out with him. However on one occasion Haitini was not able to go out on a date with her because he had to study for exams. She wouldn't talk to him for a week until many gifts and apologies either.

Haitani's mind returned to the present to hear Takako say "What makes you think that I would come on to the likes of you?. All you are is a lying, cheating pervert."

Haitani could not believe his ears. The other day Takako had claimed to be in love with him. She had pleaded with Haitani to at least be with her for the day. Haitani thinking that he was some big shot player now decided to let the poor girl have her "day". It never occurred to him that she would twist everything to make herself look like the victim.

Things started to get out of hand as the girls began to hurl insults at him.

"Liar!" "Cheater!" "Womanizer!" "Pervert!" "Lecher!"

Even the boys standing around joined in on the insults. A huge boy named Satoshi stepped up and shouted "That's it you bastard, you are going to get what you deserve!"

Finally Keitaro had seen enough. Even though he Haitani refused to talk to Keitaro at school, and would blatantly use Keitaro. Even though Keitaro warned Haitani that he was being used and Haitani had just mocked Keitaro and told him that he was just jealous. Regardless of all of this he was still one of Keitaro's friends and it was part of Keitaro's nature to help out a friend in need.

Before he knew it Keitaro was in the middle of the circle standing next to Haitani.

"That's enough!" yelled Keitaro "Leave Haitani alone!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" shouted Miko.

"You're the pervert that wants his own sister," said Takako.

"It figures a pervert would try to protect a fellow pervert," said Miko in a mocking manner.

"Let's knock both of their lights out," said Satoshi "These two are a disgrace to the school."

As the crowd started to move in a shouting was heard in the background.

"What's going on here?"

"Damn, it's Mr. Seto run for it," yelled Satoshi.

Just like that the group disbanded and took of in separate directions.

"Are you two okay?" asked Mr. Seto with a concerned expression on his face.

"Yeah we're fine," replied Keitaro.

Haitani seemed too stunned to answer and meekly nodded his head.

"Well you two better hurry and get to class, the bell is about to ring," warned Mr. Seto "But please if you two are in trouble please come to me for help. I know you don't' want to come to a teacher for help, but next time I will try to find out what has happened. See you boys later then."

Mr. Seto turned around and walked down the hallway into his classroom.

"Hey Haitani are you alright man?" questioned Keitaro.

Haitani still had a glazed look in his eye but was able to respond with a simple "Yeah I'm fine."

Keitaro walked up to Haitani and offered him his hand to help him up. Haitani graciously took it and stood up.

"RINNNNNNGGGG!"

"Damn that's the bell we're late. I'll see you later Haitani," said Keitaro as he began walking down the hall.

"Wait," said Haitani

Keitaro stopped and turned around.

"Thanks," said Haitani. "For helping me out. I know that I haven't been a really good friend but you still had the guts to look out for me. You were right, Miko was using me all along. She probably already has another boyfriend," he chuckled. "Looks like I'm in the same boat as you Keitaro. I was a fool to think that she actually liked me."

"Women are really hard to understand. It sucks that they can accuse you of practically raping them and if you don't have any solid proof that you're innocent no one will believe you. Even if you prove your innocence the seed of doubt has already been planted and most people will not trust you after that," Keitaro mused thoughtfully. "You've got to be on your guard around them and watch out because you can never be too sure about their true motives. Most of the time they just want use you. It's funny how the men are always portrayed as the evil ones, and because of this it is so easy for women to take advantage of us. Men always love extra attention and that makes them easy prey."

"Damn you've really put a lot of thought into this," Haitani said thoughtfully.

"Well I've had my whole life to think about it. Maybe I'm wrong you know" Keitaro said as he looked at the ceiling "It just may be this school. I don't know I've kind of grown wary of females."

"I guess I can't blame you, you have to deal with a lot of shit especially because of your sister" said Haitani.

"Hey you two kids get to class, you're late!" yelled a hall monitor walking down the hallway.

Keitaro and Haitani both looked at each other, nodded and ran towards their respective classrooms.

**-------------------------------**

Fast Forward Two Years:

"Finally done with high school and onto college," Keitaro sighed in relief. "I'll never have to see any of those bastards again," Keitaro referred to his tormentors in high school.

_I know exactly which college I want to go to,_ thought Keitaro _Time for some major exam preparation._

**-------------------------------**

We find Keitaro riding on the train on the way to take the Tokyo U Entrance exam.

_Now I can finally fulfill that promise I made with the girl all those years ago….the girl,I wonder if she even remembers me. She's the only girl that I feel I can trust. The only girl that won't judge me as unworthy as soon as she lays eyes on me. I wish I could remember her name…I hope she remembers mine…_ thought Keitaro as he walked into the Tokyo U testing center.

**-------------------------------**

"You failed?" screamed Mrs. Urashima "This is unacceptable. Didn't you study at all? How did you not pass?"

"I'm sorry mom," Keitaro said in a dejected tone. "I don't know what happened."

Lately Keitaro's mother had become very harsh on Keitaro. She would constantly nag at him. "You lack focus. Without focus you cannot succeed in life. Do you just want to work at our sweets shop for the rest of your life?"

"Mom just listen to me for a second," Keitaro pleaded

"Enough of your excuses!" screamed his mother. Your days in this household are numbered.

"Now wait just a second," Keitaro's father finally spoke up. "I know that Keitaro messed up but…"

Mrs. Urashima glared at her husband who stopped mid sentence and sat back down as if nothing had happened.

_That's right!_ thought Mrs. Urashima full of anger _I run this household._

"You're days in this house are numbered Keitaro if you disgrace our family again I will have no choice but to disown you," she threatened.

"I understand," said Keitaro softly and he turned around and trudged towards his room.

Mrs. Urashima turned around and glared at her husband again. "I'm sick of you always trying to help the boy. He needs to grow up and become a man. This is for his own good."

Mr. Urashima just looked at his wife before getting up and leaving the house.

**-------------------------------**

Fast Forward Two Years:

Keitaro pushed his way through the crowd to get a look at the results. Keitaro Urashima had failed the test to get into the prestigious twice now and failed to meet the promised girl of his memories. She seemed to be the only girl these days that he seemed to actually want to meet.

"Come on, come on please!" prayed Keitaro as he scanned the lists of all the people that had passed. As he approached the U's his eyes opened wide as he realized that he………………………………………

Did not make it. Again

"I don't believe it. I'm so screwed. Mom is going to blow her fuse over this. She already hates me enough as it is."

He looked at the list one time just to make sure that he had not missed his name. When he saw once again that it was absent he sighed and slowly shuffled out of the University.

"I don't belong here. That promised girl has probably forgotten all about me. Even _she _turned her back on me." Keitaro no longer referred to her as_ his_ promised girl.

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro took a deep breath as he stood in front of the door to his house. _Well it's now or never,_ he thought and turned the key to unlock the door he twisted the knob and walked into his house. It was empty. There was nobody to greet him. _Well at least I can think of a defense,_ he thought as he sat down on the sofa in the rather small living room. He thought he was alone until he saw Kanako walk up to him.

"Are you okay onichan?" she asked. "Did you get accepted?"

Keitaro looked away and shook his head sadly.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she pressed her body against his.

"What are you doing?" asked Keitaro his voice full of fear.

"Relax and let me comfort you onichan," said Kanako as she slid her arm around his neck and turned his head around.

"I love you onichan. I want to be yours forever," Kanako said with a longing look in her eye. She leaned in to kiss him when Keitaro suddenly jumped out of her grasp and backed away.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "You're my sister for goodness sake!"

"Technically we are not related," said Kanako looking at his eyes with that same longing look.

"I want you onichan, I want to comfort you. Let me comfort you." she got up and walked towards him, ready to initiate intimacy again.

Keitaro was starting to get annoyed "That's enough Kanako. Back off okay."

"What will it take to show you how much I love you?" asked Kanako.

"You can love me as a sister. Nothing more" said Keitaro with a solemn tone. "I'm going to my room."

He walked towards his room and shut the door. He took out his futon and laid down in it and began to think.

"What the hell is wrong with my life?" he questioned himself "No girl ever shows any interest in me and all of a sudden my own sister has the hots for me? It doesn't matter that we're not related by blood. It's disgusting. She's disgusting."

_Wait, what am I saying about my own siste_r? he thought. _She just needs some help. Here I am lying down while my sister needs someone to help her. I'll just have to tell her gently that nothing can happen between us and she will realize that what I am saying is right. Yeah that'll work. I'll go tell her now_/

He opened the door of his room and walked out into the living room.

"Kanako I…" he started

"Onichan please just give me a chance," she pleaded

Keitaro was starting to panic but managed to keep himself in check. _Time to go into big brother mode_, he thought to himself.

"Listen Kanako…"

Suddenly Kanako's lips were pressed against his as she laid him onto the sofa. Keitaro's mind shut down for a second as his body seemed to take control.

_This feels so good,_ he thought to himself. _Kanako is a great kis…_

His mind rebooted up at that thought. _What the hell_! he yelled in his mind. _What am I thinking! I'm not a pervert. This is sick and wrong._

He bolted up and pushed Kanako off of him. "That is enough!" he yelled. "I'm going to go take a walk and hopefully you will come to your senses when I come back."

He walked to the main door and was twisting the knob when he heard Kanako speak.

"I'll tell mom," said Kanako her voice dripping with venom

Keitaro let go of the knob and turned around to face her.

At his confused look she responded "I'll tell mom that you tried to molest me."

"What?" said Keitaro with pure disbelief.

"You heard me. Either you come to me willingly or I'll force you to. I try to show you how much I loved you but you keep pushing me away. I will have you or no on else will. I'm dead serious too."

"I don't believe this," he started "What the hell makes you think that you even care for me. Here I come home after failing the exam and all you can think about is yourself. I am so sick of girls always trying to take advantage of me. I have been insulted mocked and now threatened."

"You can go to hell Kanako because no **female**_…" _Keitaro spat out the word female with utter disgust "will ever take advantage or mock me again."

He turned around and walked out the door without looking back.

_Big mistake,_ thought Kanako as she watched his figure walk out the door. _I always stay true to my word. Maybe this is the only way to make you understand that you will be mine._

A couple of hours later Keitaro returns home after he has cooled off. He is still angry and disgusted with Kanako but he has bigger problems to face right now. He still has no idea how to tell his mother about his failure to pass the entrance exam.

Keitaro unlocked the door and walked into his house. "I'm home!" he called out as he took of his shoes.

His mother walked up to him with a neutral expression on her face.

"Hey mom," Keitaro started "Listen I have to tell you something"

Suddenly his mother slapped him incredibly hard against the face. Her expression was pure rage.

"You pitiful sick minded pervert!" she yelled "How could you take advantage of your younger sister like that! What the hell is wrong with you? It is your duty to protect and honor your sister yet you took advantage of the innocent girl and defiled her"

"Mom listen to me that's not what happened," Keitaro tried to explain "Kanako is lying. You know me better than this."

Keitaro turned to his father who was sitting in the living room. "Father, please! You believe me don't you? You know I would never do anything like this."

His father only gave him a sad look before he looked away.

"Don't interrupt me!" yelled his mother "She loved you as a brother and you committed incest!"

"Mom, please…" pleaded Keitaro.

"Did you pass your exam?" Mrs. Urashima suddenly asked in a normal voice. "If you want me to believe you tell me that Kanako was lying when she told me that you failed your exam again."

Keitaro looked at the ground and whispered "No,"

"What?" asked Mrs. Urashima

"No I didn't pass," repeated Keitaro.

"Then your sister was telling the truth," began Mrs. Urashima with fire in her eyes "You were so frustrated after you failed the test that you decided that you would take your frustration out on her."

"No that's not…" began Keitaro but he knew that he was screwed. Of course his mother would believe the innocent little Kanako. She always favored Kanako and in this case Kanako had made sure that her story was believable.

Keitaro looked over at his father. His father did nothing. He just sat there and watched the scene unfold in front of him.

"Get out!" yelled Mrs. Urashima. "I want you to pack your bags and get out of my house you disgrace! If you aren't out of this house in one hour I will throw you out myself!"

Keitaro was horrified. This had turned out to be the worst scenario that could have happened. He ran into his room and started to pack his belongings as fast as he could.

A little while later his father walked in. Keitaro looked up to see who walked in and quickly turned away when he saw that it was his father.

"Keitaro I just want you to know that I believe you," said his father.

"Then why didn't you come to my defense when mother was yelling at me?" he asked

"It's a little complicated…" his father began.

"How? I don't get it. Why do you always let mother have her way? Why don't you ever stand up for yourself?" asked Keitaro.

"Listen Keitaro," said Mr. Urashima ignoring Keitaro's questions "I want you to go to my sister. Go talk to Haruka. She will be able to help you find a place to stay. Oh and here take this too," he reached into his pocket and pulled out some money. "This should help you get to Hinata. Goodbye son and good luck." His father got up and exited the room.

_Thanks a lot dad_, Keitaro thought sarcastically. Y_ou always were a pushover. You always let mother make all the decisions while you sat back and watched._

Keitaro put the last of his possessions into his suitcase and looked around his room one last time. He wasn't able to take any of his furniture so he packed all of his clothes and most precious belongings in a suitcase and his backpack. He walked out into the hallway and started to head towards the main door.

"Wait!" called his mother.

Keitaro stopped and faced his mother. She walked up to him and said "Apologize to Kanako,"

Keitaro looked at Kanako who was sitting on the sofa. Her face contained no expression. Keitaro realizing what apologizing would mean responded by saying "No I won't apologize for something I didn't do. I have nothing more to say."

"You are a shameful disgrace and no longer part of this family. As of now I never had a son, only my sweet daughter Kanako. Now get out."

Keitaro just smiled wryly and walked out the door without looking back. As soon as he left the expression on Kanako's face changed from neutral to regret and sadness. _It wasn't supposed to turn out this way. I never thought that mother would overreact this way. I'll have to find another way._

**-------------------------------**

Back To The Present:

So now we are back to the current time and we find Keitaro heading towards the tea shop of his Aunt Haruka.

_Haruka was the only woman that I could ever depend on. She always looked out for me like an older sister. She's the only family I have left and now she is the only woman that I can trust_. Keitaro thought. _My life has been ruined by women and I will be damned if I let it continue that way. From now on things will be different. I swear it._

Keitaro walked up to the teashop and opened the door to enter. He walked up to Haruka and greeted her.

"Hi Aunt Haruka," he said when suddenly he was hit with a fan.

"Just call me Haruka," she replied.

Instantly Keitaro became enraged but he managed to cool himself down. _This is Haruka,_ he thought. _I can trust her._

"Okay Haruka," he said smiling while he rubbed his head.

"Before you say anything I've been expecting your arrival for a while now. Congratulations Keitaro, Granny Hina has selected you as the new manager for an all girls dormitory."

Haruka repeated herself when Keitaro didn't answer. "Keitaro did you hear me?" she asked as she turned around to find Keitaro out cold on the floor.


	2. Broken And Fixed

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 1: Broken and Fixed**

Keitaro began to regain consciousness as he saw the slim frame of Haruka waving her hand in front of his face.

"Keitaro are you awake?" asked Haruka.

Keitaro was still phasing in and out but managed to shake it off.

"Yeah I'm fine," he replied while he got up.

Keitaro surveyed his surroundings. He was on a futon in what seemed to be Haruka's room.

"You are bad for business," Haruka said with a chuckle. "I had to close down the shop because of you."

"Sorry about that," said Keitaro.

"Forget about it," replied Haruka. "Anyways what the hell happened to you? Are you sick?"

"It's a long story Haruka," Keitaro began "Why don't we sit down so I can tell you about it."

"Alright go downstairs to the shop and find a table that you want to sit at," suggested Haruka. "I'll get you some tea."

Once Keitaro found a place to sit, Haruka walked up to him and sat down across with him. "Here drink this and tell me what happened."

Sometime Later:

"And that's what happened," finished Keitaro.

Haruka had an unreadable expression on her face.

"I warned my brother that marrying that woman was a bad idea," Haruka said. "Your father called me to tell me that you were coming over here, but I had no idea that you got thrown out of the house. Lucky for you Granny Hina has an offer for you if you are looking to stay at Hinata Sou."

"Hmm… what offer?" asked Keitaro perplexed.

"Oh that's right, you fainted right after I told you so you probably don't remember," responded Haruka. "Granny Hina turned Hinata Sou into an all girls dormitory and since she went on a trip to visit hot springs around the world, she wants you to become the new manager."

The look on Keitaro's face turned cold and distant and Haruka began to feel a slight chill in the air.

"Keitaro what's wrong, are you feeling faint again?" she inquired.

Keitaro looked at her with his cold demeanor and said "An all **girls** dormitory? Granny wants me to assume the role of manager at an all girls dormitory? Has this bitch gone insane?"

"Keitaro, watch how you talk about your grandmother!" scolded Haruka.

"Haven't you been listening to anything I've said Haruka?" asked Keitaro, his voice beginning to rise "It's because of girls that I'm in this situation in the first place! Now you expect me to live with a bunch that I've never met!"

Keitaro stood up and walked over to the window "And besides, what do you think the girls are going to say to a male manager?"

"Keitaro, it's not like you to give up so easily. You haven't even met the girls and you are already assuming that they'll reject you," said Haruka.

"That's just it!" yelled Keitaro. "That's the problem with you females. Why do I always have to be the one that needs to get accepted? Why do I always have to be the one that is afraid of being rejected? I am so sick and tired of being judged by women that know nothing about me except the fact that I'm a man."

"Keitaro I know that you've had rough experiences with women, but you should use turn this into a positive situation. Maybe you'll learn to get along with women if you become manager at Hinata Sou." Haruka said hopefully.

"And what makes you think that I want to get along with women?" asked Keitaro darkly "Haruka you've been like an older sister to me. I thought you would understand."

"Keitaro, you can't spend the rest of your life avoiding women. Sooner or later you're going to have to deal with them. Running away isn't going to solve your problems. You need to be a man and face this head on or you'll never get over this," said Haruka.

"Who the hell are you to tell me how to be a man?" asked Keitaro.

He walked up to the door and said "Thanks for the tea. Oh and if you're wondering, no I don't hate you. I could never hate you." He then opened the door and walked out.

"Wait Keitaro!" called Haruka getting out of her seat and running towards the door. She ran outside and called him again "Keitaro!" But he was already out of sight.

_Damn it Keitaro,_ thought Haruka as she went back inside took out a cigarette. _All of this has broken you. You are in a really fragile state of mind right now._ She lit her cigarette. _You've got to calm down before you do anything drastic_. She put the cigarette into her mouth and inhaled deeply.

**-------------------------------**

_It seems like all I ever do is dramatically walk out the door these days_, Keitaro wryly thought to himself.

He continued to walk down the street when he saw a park. _This backpack and suitcase are starting to wear me down;_ he thought _I'll go rest at the park for a while_.

Keitaro walked towards a bench across from a kids playground. "Damn I'm beat," he said out loud as he plopped onto the bench.

He began to watch as a little boy and a little girl built a mountain with the sand in the playground.

_Why does this seem so familiar?_ he thought. _I swear I've seen this somewhere before…_ his eyelids began to feel heavy as he slowly drifted away into an exhausted slumber.

Dream Sequence:

Two young children a little boy and a little girl are building a sand mountain in the playground.

The little girl walks up to the boy and says "Kei-kun, did you know that if two people meet together at Tokyo U they will live happily ever after?"

"No I didn't know that" the boy replies. "Where did you find out?"

"I heard a couple of grown ups talking and they said that if to people meet up at Tokyo U they will fall in love and live happily ever after," says the girl. "Kei-kun, let's both try hard to get into to Tokyo U and live happily ever after."

"Okay," the boy answers.

"Promise me," says the girl. "Give me your pinky."

The boy complies and gives her his pinky finger. The girl raps her pinky fingers with his and together, they both say "It's a promise."

The girl then leans in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

There is a blinding flash of light and once it fades the scene has changed.

This time the boy is chasing frantically after a moving truck. From the side window of the truck the head of a little girl pops out.

"Bye-bye Kei-kun, don't forget our promise to meet each other at Tokyo U!" yelled the girl. "I'll be waiting for you!" The scene faded to black.

"I'll be waiting for you!" the phrase kept echoing through his mind.

"Liar!" screamed Keitaro's voice. "You said you'd wait for me. You're a liar! You used me, just like the rest of them!"

**-------------------------------**

Suddenly Keitaro's eyes snapped open and body jolted upward on the bench.

_That was a crazy dream,_ he thought to himself "_It's been so long since I've had a dream of that promised girl._" He looked up at the playground and saw that the boy and girl had left but the mountain was still there.

Keitaro stretched his arms out. "Well where do I go from here?" he asked himself. "Hmm… I don't have many options at this point."

_I can't believe that after everything I told Haruka, she still had the nerve to ask me to manage an all girls dorm,_ he thought.

Keitaro continued to brood for a while when it suddenly hit him.

_Wait a minute, why I am the one leaving Hinata Sou. That place rightfully belongs to me and here I am running away and letting females take it away from me. I haven't changed at all. I swore to myself that no female would take advantage of me again and here I am repeating the same stuff I did before. Hinata Sou belongs to me. __**I **__am the one that will inherit it. If anyone is going to be leaving it is going to be those females. I realize it now, Haruka was right. If I keep letting my rage get the better of me then I'm just going to look like some kind of psychotic woman hater. If I want to get back at females then I am going to have to do it by using my cunning. I'll have to be clever and use my brain. This is the perfect opportunity for some payback and I almost let it get away. It's time a changed. The time for self pity is over. Only the strong survive and I will be one of the strong. I am the new breed of man that does not fall for the traps of the female. It's time to step up to the plate and prove myself._

Keitaro's rage disappeared and it was replaced with cold, ruthless cunning and grim determination. _I feel a lot better now. It's like I've healed. I feel like a new person._

_Well then it's decided,_ thought Keitaro. He got off up the bench and proceeded to walk out of the park. _First things first though. If I'm going to become manager, then I'll need a suit. I am a professional after all._

He walked down the street and began browsing for a store that sold suits. Keitaro continued to do this for about half an hour when he finally spotted the store he was looking for. "The Suit Store" he read out loud. _Maybe this place can help,_ he thought sarcastically as he walked inside.

"Welcome to The Suit Store," greeted an enthusiastic sales girl. "How can I help you sir?"

Keitaro ignored the sales girl and approached a sales man that was putting a suit back into the rack.

"What did I do wrong?" the sales girl asked herself and gave a confused look over to Keitaro. It was the girl's first day on the job.

"Pardon me," said Keitaro as he approached a sales man.

The man looked over to Keitaro and said "Hello sir, how can I help with your suiting needs today?"

"Well," Keitaro began "I'm looking for a suit that says authority…"

A while later Keitaro walked out of The Suit Store holding two brand new suits.

"Have a good day sir," said the sales girl in an enthusiastic tone to Keitaro as he walked out.

"Hope your day sucks," replied Keitaro, mimicking her enthusiastic tone.

The poor girl gave Keitaro another confused look as she asked herself again "Did I say something wrong?"

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro walked back up the stairs that lead to Hinata Sou and headed towards Haruka's tea shop.

"Haruka!" called out Keitaro as he entered the shop.

The tea shop was relatively empty. There were only a couple of customers sitting at the tables.

Haruka was cleaning one of the tables by the corner.

Keitaro walked up to her and said "I need to talk to you."

She looked up at him and said "Hold on a second, I have to chase these customers out and then we'll talk." Haruka smirked at him "You are so bad for business."

Keitaro let out a chuckle as Haruka got rid of the customers. After they had left she walked up to the table where Keitaro had chosen to sit at.

"Keitaro are you sure you're alright?" asked Haruka. "You left the shop in such a broken state of mind."

"Come on Haruka, did you really think that I would break just because things have gotten tough? I just needed some time to contemplate and heal myself. You know my invincibility factor. I'm fixed now," said Keitaro.

"You're **fixed** now? Keitaro, you were dealt emotional blows not physical ones," Haruka said in a serious tone.

"I can bounce back from anything," Keitaro replied with total confidence.

"Well it looks like you've finally calmed down," Haruka said while she sat down and inhaled on a cigarette. "So talk."

"I've been doing some thinking," started Keitaro "and I've decided that I'll take the position of manager."

Haruka gave him a smile and said "I knew you would come around."

"Yeah, you sure know me," Keitaro said sarcastically.

Haruka rolled her eyes and laughed. "**Anyways **let's get down to business," she said.

"Okay" Keitaro replied in a serious voice "before we do anything, I'm going to need profiles for each of the tenants. I want to know their behavior, their interests, their pasts and anything else that I can use against them."

Haruka gave him a questioning look.

"I'm joking," Keitaro said in a tone that indicated that he wasn't joking, but in fact dead serious.

"All right I keep all of the information on the girls in the back," Haruka got up and went to the back of the tea shop. She emerged a couple of minutes later carrying five folders with her. Each folder had a different name on it.

She dropped the folders on the table and sat back down.

"How would you describe the tenants?" asked Keitaro.

"They're an **odd** bunch," Haruka evasively replied.

"And?" asked Keitaro.

"Just read the profiles. I've written my comments at the end of each one" said Haruka.

Keitaro began scanning through the profiles of his future tenants.

About half an hour later, Keitaro was felt that he knew all that he needed to about the girls.

_Haruka wasn't lying when she said the girls were odd. That dorm is a damn circus. Where the hell did Granny find these people?_

"Okay now that you know about the tenants, you officially make up your mind now," stated Haruka. She took out a contract from an envelope in her apron. "Once you sign it you will officially become the landlord of Hinata Sou. You can't take it back, so think carefully."

"I've had plenty of time to think about it," replied Keitaro. "I'm ready."

Keitaro took the contract from Haruka and signed it.

"Oh, by the way Keitaro, are you still trying for Tokyo U?" asked Haruka.

"No, I gave up on that promised girl nonsense a while ago," answered Keitaro.

"Well, you might change your mind after you hear this," Haruka said. "Grandma Hina has named you her apparent heir and Hinata Sou is part of your inheritance."

"All right!" said Keitaro "then I want to change the dormitory back into…"

Haruka stopped Keitaro in his tracks "Now hold on a second Keitaro. There is a condition that Granny set for you. You will only be able to claim your inheritance if you are accepted into Tokyo U."

Keitaro stared at her with his mouth wide open then he said "But I already told you that I gave up on the promised girl."

"Damn it Keitaro" said Haruka slamming her hand on the table. "You don't have to give up on Tokyo U just because you gave up on the promised girl. Get into Tokyo U for yourself; you don't have to do it for anyone else."

"But my inheritance…" began Keitaro.

"That's your motivation. Don't you want to prove your mother wrong? Now is your chance Keitaro. Are you going to face this challenge or just give up?"

Keitaro's eyes flashed with anger at the mention of his mother's name. _Haruka's right. I told myself that I wouldn't run away anymore;_ he thought _I'll show them all. I'll beat the odds and prove them wrong. But most of all I need to do this for me._

"Okay Haruka, I'll do it. I'll get into Tokyo U this year," Keitaro said with determination.

"Now that we've got that settled, are you ready to go?" asked Haruka.

"Not yet" Keitaro replied "I need to get cleaned up and into my new threads."

"The bathroom is upstairs to the right. I'll finish closing down the shop while you get ready," said Haruka.

Keitaro walked upstairs and into the bathroom.

He emerged a while later dressed in a casual business suit.

Haruka gave him an amused look. "Looks like you went all out. Do you want to impress the girls or something?"

Keitaro's eyes narrowed "I would never waste my time on trivial matters like that. This is to make me look professional," he said in a cold tone.

"Alright, alright, I was only joking," said Haruka.

"Let's go," said Keitaro leading the way out the door. Haruka followed him out.

The two walked up the steps and stood in front of the entrance of Hinata Sou.

"Before we go in I just want to thank you for everything," said Keitaro. "You've treated me better to me then anyone else I know. Thank you Haruka oneesan." He gave her a genuine smile.

Haruka hit Keitaro on the head with a fan. "Don't call me that. I'm not your **older** sister; I'm your beautiful and young same-aged sister."

Keitaro laughed out loud "Don't kid yourself," he said.

"What was that?" said Haruka in a mock threatening tone.

Keitaro just chuckled and walked into the dormitory. Haruka walked in after him.

"Wow, it's been such a long time since I was last here," said Keitaro. "This place hasn't changed at all."

Haruka put her thumb and index finger in her mouth and let out an earsplitting whistle "Girls! Meeting in the common room!" she called out.

A few seconds later five girls came to the common room from various parts of the dormitory. Apparently the girls were too preoccupied to notice Keitaro as they settled themselves around the common room. However once their attention turned to Haruka, the noticed the young man standing next to her. As expected the reactions were instant.

_Those profiles were dead on about the behavior and personality of the girls,_ thought Keitaro.

Motoko was the first to stand up. "Haruka-san, what is the meaning of this? Why is there male in our dormitory?"

"I'd like you all to meet Keitaro Urashima," Haruka pointed towards Keitaro. "He is my nephew and Hina-san's grandson. The reason why I have brought him here is because he is the new landlord of Hinata Sou."

This statement caused uproar among the girls. Naru and Motoko began to protest. Su began jumping around the room while shouting "New playmate, new playmate," over and over again. Shinobu became overwhelmed and started speaking gibberish. Only Kitsune remained silent.

_Well this is something new,_ thought Kitsune. _It's been a while since a guy has been up here. Naru and Motoko make sure of that. Those two have chased away every date I've brought to Hinata Sou._" She began to size up Keitaro. _Judging by the suit, it looks like he has quite a bit of money and he could be some sort of businessman. If he's Hina-san's grandson he must have a huge inheritance lined up for him. He's not bad looking either. He kind of reminds of… Seta,_ Kitsune blushed at the thought.

Through all of the commotion, Keitaro had remained dead silent and stool as still as a statue.

Haruka was trying to quiet down the girls. She put her thumb and index finger into her mouth and let out another earsplitting whistle. Finally the girls quieted back down.

"If you have something that you want to say, say it one at a time," said Haruka.

Motoko stood up once again and said "Haruka-san, I cannot accept this male as the landlord."

"I'm sorry you feel that way Motoko, but this is not your decision to make," said Haruka.

"Wait a minute Haruka," said Naru while she stood up from the couch. "I know that he's your nephew and all, but for all we know he might try to peep on us when we change or when we bathe in the hot springs. He's a guy and like all guy's he's going to act like a pervert if he's living with all us girls. What if he tries to take advantage of poor Shinobu?"

Keitaro's blood began to boil when he heard the word pervert. He hadn't said one thing or moved a muscle since he had arrived and already he had been branded a pervert.

_That word has been so overused by females that it's sickening. It's the ace in the hole. Just call him a pervert and move on without any worries,_ Keitaro thought with anger.

Haruka glared at Naru and told her in a stern voice "Naru how dare you judge Keitaro like that. You don't eve…"

"Wait Haruka," Keitaro said softly. "I can handle this."

Keitaro stepped up. _If I'm going to have any authority I can't let Haruka always defend me. It's time I stood up for myself, _he thought to himself. He looked at each of the girls and then began to speak. "My name is Keitaro Urashima. I am the new landlord and manager of Hinata Sou. Do not address me by name. From here on out you will refer to me as Manager-san. There is no need to introduce yourselves. I have already read your profiles and learned all that is necessary about all of you. Since I am the new landlord the rules will be different from when Granny Hina was here." Keitaro paused shortly before he began speaking again. "I am not here to be your friend or playmate," he looked at Su when he said playmate. "Our relationship is strictly a business one. It is a landlord-tenant relationship. Be warned, I am not like my grandmother if you disrespect me or my rules you will be evicted. I don't care about your personal situations and I will not hesitate to throw any of you out. I am the authority of this dormitory."

"I will not accept this!" yelled Motoko. "I challenge you to a fight. If I win you will leave Hinata Sou and never return."

Keitaro ignored Motoko's demand and continued speaking. "That is all for tonight. I will debrief you on the new rules and procedures tomorrow," he said with finality.

"How dare you ignore me you vile male," Motoko shouted. "I will banish you from Hinata Sou by any means necessary."

Motoko unsheathed her sword and charged at the new manager. Keitaro showed no fear and stood right where he was.

SLASH!

Motoko's sword cut deeply into Keitaro's torso. Keitaro didn't even flinch while the sword sliced through his abdomen.

After the assault had ended Keitaro began to speak.

"You call yourself an honorable swordswoman and yet you shed the blood of an innocent who has done nothing to provoke you?" he asked in a deathly low whisper. "You're nothing more than a tyrant who preys on the innocent in order to compensate for your own weaknesses. I know all about how your older sister married and left you to inherit the Gods Cry School. You are so weak that you vent out your frustration on every man that you come into contact with. How pathetic, a true swordswoman would deal with their problems head on. **You** hid behind the facade of 'protecting innocent maidens.' Who do you think you're fooling with that bullshit? You will never become as skilled as your older sister and you will forever be unworthy of becoming the head of the Gods Cry School."

Motoko stood in a frozen silence. She was at a loss for words. The young swordswoman glanced at her sword and saw Keitaro's blood dripping from the blade. She felt sicker and sicker after each drop of the crimson fluid struck the floor.

_What is wrong with me? Why do I feel so weak and tired? That male has disrespected me. I can't let him get away with insulting my honor,_ thought Motoko. Her head was starting to burn up and she was starting to get a fever. _I am starting to feel ill, but I must…fight,_ she thought. Motoko began feeling dizzy and her vision started to blur.

"I must have caught a cold," she said out loud.

"You still continue to make excuses for yourself? You make me sick," Keitaro said with a look of cold fury on his face.

He was about to say something else but Haruka intervened. "Keitaro are you alright?" she asked with a concerned voice.

"Don't worry, all I need to do is put on some bandages and my invincibility factor will take care of the rest," Keitaro assured Haruka with a confident smile.

Haruka nodded and turned to Motoko. "You're coming with me, we need to talk."

Haruka walked up to Motoko and helped her out of the dormitory.

After Motoko and Haruka had exited, Keitaro looked at the rest of the girls. They were all in shock. None of them spoke; even Naru had nothing to say.

"We will discuss the new rules and procedures tomorrow," Keitaro said as he walked up the stairs and into his bedroom.

The girls departed shortly after without saying a word to each other. They were still in shock from what they had just witnessed.

**-------------------------------**

Kitsune was lying on her futon and looking at the ceiling.

_That was quite the first impression that new manager made today. I've never seen anyone stand up to Motoko like that. He showed no fear at all_, Kitsune thought.

"Come to think of it, he was wounded pretty badly from Motoko," Kitsune got up from a futon and headed towards the door of her room. She slid the door open and stepped into the hallway.

_Maybe I can help our new manager bandage his wounds and while I'm helping him maybe I can convince him to lower the rent,_ she thought mischievously. _He may have acted cold earlier but I'm sure he'll warm up to me._

Kitsune was standing right outside Keitaro's bedroom door. _After all no man can resist the old fox charm,_ she thought seductively.

**-------------------------------**


	3. Man Vs Fox

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 2: Man Vs. Fox**

"We will discuss the new rules and procedures tomorrow," said Keitaro as he walked upstairs and into his bedroom.

All of the girls sat in the common room in a dumbfounded silence. Even though it seemed that the girls had temporarily lost their voices their minds were going a mile a minute.

Su sat there with a puzzled look._ Where did Haruka take Motoko? That man didn't get hurt after Motoko attacked him. _ Su gave a thoughtful look. _I wonder if he can help me test out my newest invention._ She hopped off the couch while humming a tune and ran full speed up the stairs to put the finishing touches on her latest creation.

Kitsune seemed to be deep in thought and didn't talk to anyone. She got up and left right after Su.

The only two left were Shinobu and Naru. Naru wanted to assure to Shinobu that everything would be alright. However before she could say anything, Shinobu got up and hurriedly left toward her room.

Little did Naru know, the reason why Shinobu had left in such a hurry was because she did not want Naru to see the blush that was appearing on her face.

_That man stood up to Motoko sempai with so much confidence and he looked like such a gentleman in that suit. Aaauu what am I thinking? _Her face grew as red as a tomato. _I should do some homework; _she thought hurriedly to get her mind off of the mysterious man that appeared at Hinata Sou.

Naru was the last one left in the common room. _Doesn't anyone care that we have a male manager at an all girl's dormitory? And what the hell happened between that new guy and Motoko? She slashes the hell out of him and he just waltzed upstairs as if nothing happened._

Naru let out a frustrated sigh. _I need to take a dip in the hot springs, _she thought as she headed towards the changing area of the hot springs. _Some relaxation would do me some good after a day as stressful as today was, _she thought as she quickly stripped herself of her clothes and headed out into the open area.

Naru let out a sigh of pleasure as she entered the hot springs. _These hot springs always seem to wash your troubles away, _she thought as she closed her eyes.

**-------------------------------**

As soon as Keitaro had safely entered his room and slid the door closed, he clutched onto his abdomen as he fell to his knees.

He let out a groan as his body doubled over in pain.

_Damn I can't believe I made it up here without losing consciousness, _he thought.

His blood soaked suit was starting to become extremely uncomfortable as the wet cloth stuck to his broken skin.

_It seems like my invincibility factor decided to take a vacation,_ he thought wryly.

His vision began to fade in and out as he started to lose consciousness. _I don't get it why hasn't it kicked in yet? I usually start to feel better by now. _Keitaro's mind froze up and he started to go into a panic.

"Okay calm down," he said to himself. "I've got to calm down."

Keitaro began talking to himself in order to help keep himself awake. "Okay first I need to get rid of these clothes."

The young man's suit had become quite heavy with all the blood that had soaked into it and was very difficult for Keitaro strip down in his weakened state.

He managed to take off his blazer jacket and began talking to himself again. "Now I unbutton the shirt. One button at a time…" he continued to speak as he took off his collared shirt.

Underneath it was a white t T-shirt that was now a shade of pale red from all of his blood loss. Keitaro slid the shirt over his head and began to inspect his body.

There was a deep gash that started at the right of his upper body and went down the chest towards the end of the left part of his stomach. His entire torso was covered with blood and the gash was leaking out more at a high rate.

Seeing the severity of his injury led Keitaro into another panic attack. He lay frozen in terror for a couple of minutes.

_Oh my God! What the hell was I thinking! I should have moved out of the way when that psycho attacked me. This looks really serious. My invincibility factor isn't starting up. I think I'm going to die._

Keitaro snapped his head up and his face contorted in anger. _No! I won't let that psychotic swordswoman get the best of me. I won't let her have the last laugh! No female will ever bring me down._

Keitaro channeled his rage to help keep himself awake. As long as he could keep his mind focused on his rage that he felt towards Motoko he could maintain consciousness.

_Bandages, _he thought to himself._ I have to find the bandages I packed. _

Then it hit him. _Damn I left the suitcases at Haruka's tea shop after I left to go to the park earlier. _

Keitaro let out a defeated sigh. _That's it. I'm screwed. _His vision was slowly starting to fade_. I guess I deserve it for letting my rage get the better of me when I stomped out of her tea shop. I'm…_, Keitaro was unable to finish the thought as his mind shut down and everything went black.

It was at this particular moment that the resident Mitsune Konno happened to be standing outside the manager's bedroom door.

_After all no man can resist the old fox charm,_ she thought seductively as she stood outside the door of Keitaro's bedroom.

"Oh Manager-san," she said in a singsong voice "I would like to have a word with you."

After getting no response she tried calling out to him again.

_Hmph, _Kitsune thought bitterly. _I know he's the manager and all but that's still no excuse to be rude to your tenants._ She waited a bit longer. After getting no response again she decided enough was enough.

_That's it I'm going in, _Kitsune thought as she slid open the door. What she saw next made her gasp. Kitsune had been feeling mildly drunk earlier but this caused her to sober up rather quickly.

The manager was out cold on the floor with a small pool of blood under his body. His blood continued to flow out of the wound that had been inflicted by Motoko.

"Oh my God," whispered Kitsune. "He seemed to be perfectly fine when he was chewing out Motoko. The guy just stood their as if the blow didn't even affect him."

Kitsune did not move for a couple of moments and just surveyed the scene in front of her. This had been the second time today that she had been struck speechless.

Eventually she came to her senses. _I've got to help him, _Kitsune thought as she ran up to Keitaro and lifted him into an upright sitting position.

Kitsune examined Keitaro's body. _Hmm… he seems to be well built, _she thought as she looked at Keitaro's muscle toned body. She shook her head. _Now is not the time,_ she scolded herself.

_First I've got to clean all that blood on his body._

Kitsune got up and hurried over to the closet. When she slid the door open she saw a suitcase and a backpack arranged next to each other.

_I don't remember seeing him bring any luggage with him; _Kitsune thought as she zipped open the suitcase and pulled out a shirt.

She rushed over to Keitaro and began to clean the flowing blood from his body. The fox girl ran back to the closet and pulled out another shirt. She tore the shirt into a long strip and wrapped it around Keitaro's wound.

_I've got to wake him up, _thought Kitsune as she lightly shook his body. "Hey wake up," she said softly.

Kitsune took her hand and lightly slapped Keitaro in an effort to bring him back to the state of consciousness.

_It worked, _Kitsune thought happily as she saw Keitaro's eyes flutter open.

"My bandages," he whispered weakly. "I left my bandages in my suitcase."

Keitaro still wasn't fully aware of what was going on. He believed that he had still left his suitcases at the tea shop.

Kitsune walked over to the suitcase and rummaged through the clothes until she pulled out the bandages.

She went back to Keitaro and pulled off the rag that she had wrapped around him earlier to stop the bleeding.

The young woman proceeded to wrap the bandage over Keitaro's wound until it covered almost all of his upper body.

Keitaro's invincibility factor had finally started to take its effect as his wound had already stopped bleeding and slowly began to heal itself.

It was at this time that Keitaro became fully aware of his surroundings. Slowly his vision began to come into focus.

What he saw in front of him was Kitsune who had just finishing applying the bandages.

"Hey, you're finally awake," Kitsune said in a relieved voice. "That was one nasty cut Motoko gave you."

Keitaro looked up at Kitsune. _What the hell is going on? What is this female doing in my room? Wait, what's her name again? _Keitaro's mind was still a bit rattled.

_Konno… her name is Mitsune Konno. The fox girl._

"What are you doing in my room?" asked Keitaro.

"It's a lucky thing that I came in or you wouldn't be awake to ask that question," replied Kitsune.

Keitaro looked down and saw his torso wrapped in bandages.

_She must have applied the bandages to my wound…wait a minute!_

"Where did you find the bandages?" he asked.

Kitsune gave him an exasperated look. "**You're **the one that told me to look in your suitcase," Kitsune pointed to the suitcase in the closet. "That reminds me, I never saw you bring in your luggage.

Keitaro looked over to where Kitsune was pointing. "Haruka must have brought them to this room when I left the teashop earlier," he said.

"I guess that makes sense," said Kitsune with a thoughtful look.

_Even though I hate saying this, I suppose it's the least I can do. After all she might have just saved my life, _thought Keitaro.

"Thank you," Keitaro said in a barely audible whisper.

"Huh? I didn't catch that," said Kitsune.

"I said thank you Konno-san," Keitaro repeated in a quiet voice.

"Don't mention it," said Kitsune waving it off. "I couldn't let you just bleed to death. You don't owe me anything. Although…"

Kitsune got a mischievous look in her eye and moved closer to Keitaro.

"What are you doing?" questioned Keitaro as he stepped back.

"I was just thinking…maybe there is a way you could repay me," Kitsune continued to approach Keitaro until he was backed up against the wall.

"I'm warning you. Don't come any closer," Keitaro threatened.

"Come on, there's no need to be shy around me," Kitsune said in a raspy whisper.

She pushed up against Keitaro and began to draw circles with her fingers on his chest.

"Why don't we discuss the rent over some sake and afterwards I'll show you a good time."

_No! _Keitaro screamed in his head. _She's going to try to use me. Just like the rest of them. They're all the same…selfish and self centered . They only care about themselves. _Keitaro's faces contorted with anger as he looked down at Kitsune. _ No woman is going to use me. Not now, not EVER!_

Kitsune reached out and took a hold of Keitaro's arm. "This should be enough to cover this month's rent," she said as she pulled Keitaro's arm towards her chest.

"Don't touch me," said Keitaro as he jerked his arm out of Kitsune's grasp.

"There's no need to give me cold attitude you were giving everyone earlier," said Kitsune. "You know you want this," she indicated to her body.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" yelled Keitaro. "I said I owed you thanks and you try to take advantage of me. In case you haven't noticed I am still badly injured and look at my room," he pointed to the pool of blood that was still there and the bloodied suit.

"And what's with trying to seduce me? Are you really that broke, that you need to resort to prostitution to help pay the rent?" Keitaro gave her a piercing look. "Or are you some kind of depraved slut that's willing to have sex with anyone?"

Kitsune's eyes widened at that statement.

_Looks like I struck a nerve, _thought Keitaro triumphantly.

"As soon as I show you some gratitude you immediately try to take advantage of it," said Keitaro.

Kitsune was not going to take this lying down. "You're one to talk you ungrateful bastard. I just saved your damned life and you think that a mere 'thank you' covers it. I should have left your ass for dead."

"I would have rather died then been saved by the likes of you," said Keitaro. "You said that I owed you something right? Well I'll be generous enough to let you stay here. Normally I would have thrown you out for trying to **molest **me, but seeing as you helped me out I'll let it go **this time**."

Kitsune glared at him. _Oh hell no! Who does he think he is? _she thought.

Kitsune opened her mouth to retaliate but Keitaro cut her off.

"I've heard enough," he said calmly. "I want you to leave my room right now before I change my mind and have you thrown out." He pointed towards the door. "You know the way out."

Kitsune shot him a fierce look and headed towards the door. As she reached the doorway she paused momentarily and said "You're going to regret this **Mr. Manager**. I'll personally make sure of it. They don't call me the fox for nothing." With that said she departed the young manager's room.

_I'll have to be the one to strike first. In case she hasn't noticed, __**man **__is far more cunning than the fox, _he thought.

Keitaro looked around his room. _Looks like I've got some cleaning to do, _he thought while looking at the blood on the ground and the ruined suit. He let out a huge yawn. _I'll clean it in the morning; _he thought as he turned off the lights and drifted to sleep.

**-------------------------------**

During the time this event was taking place another one took place involving Haruka and Motoko.

Haruka slung Motoko's arm over her shoulder as she helped the young swordswoman down the steps of Hinata Sou towards her tea shop. She took Motoko into the shop and helped her onto a seat.

"Wait here," commanded Haruka as she went to the back of the shop. She came back a little while later with some tea. "Here drink this. It'll help you feel better." Haruka handed the tea to Motoko who took it without saying a word.

Haruka sat down across from Motoko who began to drink the tea.

However Motoko was already starting to feel much better and it seemed that her 'cold' was beginning to wear off.

Motoko reached down to her sheath and found that the sword was not there. _Where is my sword? _she thought. Motoko always felt incomplete without her sword.

"I left your sword outside," said Haruka figuring that was what Motoko was looking for. "I didn't want a mess in my tea shop," Haruka said referring to the blood that had stained the sword.

Motoko began to feel a little ill again as she thought about the current condition of her sword. "What is he?" she asked.

"You mean Keitaro?" asked Haruka.

"Is he some sort of demon?" pressed Motoko. "He just stood there and took the blow head on without even lifting a finger to defend himself.

Haruka let out a slight laugh. She gave Motoko an amused look and said "Don't be silly Motoko. Keitaro is a normal man."

Motoko's expression darkened when she heard the word man. Haruka-san I demand to know why you insist on this male being the manager of this dormitory."

"Listen Motoko, Keitaro has had a rough life and let's just say that you helped prove his point when you attacked him," said Haruka.

Motoko gave her a confused look. "I do not understand what point I helped prove," she said.

Haruka just sighed and said "The bottom line is like it or not, Keitaro **will **be the manager of the dormitory. This is a direct order from Granny Hina and even if I wanted to I have no authority to change it."

Motoko began to protest but saw that it was futile. Instead she decided to try something else.

"How did this male find about my sister and my inheritance of the Gods Cry School?" she asked rather forcefully.

"I gave him a profile of every resident of Hinata Sou. These profiles contain some of your past and your reason for being here," Haruka calmly replied.

Motoko slammed her hand onto the table. "This is an invasion of our personal lives!" she exclaimed. "What gives you the right to show our personal information to any male that asks you?" she asked.

Haruka sighed. "Motoko the only reason I allowed Keitaro to view the profiles is because he was considering being manager. Besides no one else has seen the profiles except Granny Hina, Keitaro and myself."

"Why was I not informed of these documents containing my personal information?" asked Motoko. "Surely this is a breach on the privacy of the tenants staying at Hinata Sou."

Haruka gave Motoko another amused smile and said "The reason why you weren't informed of the profiles is because we were granted permission by your guardian to keep a record of you. You **do **know who that is, don't you?"

"_Oneesan_?" said Motoko in a distressed voice.

"Yes, it was your older sister Tsuruko who provided us with all of the information that is contained in your profile. As a matter of fact she wanted us to know about your **dilemma **with men," replied Haruka.

Motoko tried to contain her shock. _Oneesan said that about me? She doesn't think that I am worthy to take over the Gods Cry School?_

Despite her inner turmoil, Motoko kept an expression of calmness. She stood up and got ready to leave. "I am still against letting this vile male stay in the dormitory. I do not approve of the way he disrespected me when he came here. If I catch him doing anything perverted or wrong by my standards; I will do whatever it takes to bring him to justice."

Haruka gave Motoko a serious look. "Motoko do you realize that if it hadn't been Keitaro that you attacked but someone else, you would have killed that person?"

"He was a fool for not getting out of the way. Like all males he let his pride get the best of him and risked losing his life," answered Motoko. "All men are proud and perverted beasts that want nothing more then to have a woman submit to them so they can keep their self-esteem in front of other men. Haruka I admire you for being an independent woman and not letting a man steal your dignity and pureness," Motoko took in a breath and continued "But you are clearly being blinded by your family ties with your nephew. Allowing him to stay here is a mistake and soon you will see that I was right."

"I bid you farewell Haruka-san," said Motoko as she exited the tea shop.

_Looks like neither side is going to back down, _thought Haruka as she watched Motoko leave.

When Motoko was outside she picked up her sword which had been set against the wall of the tea shop. _My precious sword has been stained with the impurity of that male, _she thought as she examined the blood on the sword. _I must clean this sword as soon as possible. _She headed towards the direction of the hot springs.

**-------------------------------**

Naru had been resting in the hot springs for quite some time now. She tried to relax herself and let her mind wander off but the events that had occurred earlier kept coming back.

"Damn it!" said Naru as she threw a fist into the water. "What the hell was Haruka thinking letting a guy into the dormitory? Not only that but she decides to make him the manager!"

Naru looked at the entrance to the hot springs. "As a matter of fact that pervert can walk into the hot springs at any time." Right after she said that, Naru saw a figure walk in through the entrance of the hot springs. She could not identify who it was because of all the fog that usually surrounded the area.

_I knew it! That pervert thinks that just because it is dark and I'm alone in the hot springs that he can come and peep on me, _Naru thought. She stood up and balled her hands into a fist. _I'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget._

As the figure began to come closer Naru tensed her fists in preparation. "So you think that you can just come in a peep on me? I'm not that easy!" yelled Naru as she charged at the figure.

"Naru-sempai?" asked a confused voice.

_That's Motoko's voice! _thought Naru as she struggled to stop herself. She barely missed Motoko with her punch.

"Sorry about that Motoko I thought it was that man trying to peep on me," explained Naru.

"That is alright Naru-sempai," replied Motoko "I just came in to wash my sword."

Naru returned back to the hot springs and Motoko headed over to the faucets to clean her sword.

Neither girl said anything for a while. Only the faucet could be heard as it washed over Motoko's sword.

"You know it is true that the male may walk in at anytime into the hot springs," started Motoko "Especially if we happen to be bathing."

"We have to do something about him," said Naru.

"It seems that it is official. I talked with Haruka-san and she has made it quite clear that the male is here to stay," said Motoko.

"What the hell is up with this? Doesn't she know that he will probably try act perverted and take advantage of us because he's the manager?" Naru said in a frustrated voice.

"I absolutely agree with you Naru-sempai. Even though he is related to Haruka-san and Hina-san, he is still a male and there is no doubt that he will try to act out on his perverted male desires," said Motoko.

"I'm particularly worried about Shinobu," said Naru "She is so innocent and impressionable."

"Naru-sempai we must find a way to rid the Hinata Sou of this male as soon as we can. We can't risk having him taint the younger ones," Motoko said referring to Shinobu and Su. "What do you think we should do?" she asked Naru.

"I'm not really sure," answered Naru. "If we catch him doing something wrong we can use it as an excuse have him resign as manager."

Once the blood had been cleaned off of Motoko's sword she turned off the faucet and stood up. "If we catch him doing something immoral not only will he be banished from Hinata Sou but I will deal justice to him as well," she said as she swung the blade through the open air.

The young swordswoman then sheathed her sword and began to exit the hot springs area. "Good night Naru-sempai, I will see you tomorrow," said Motoko.

" 'Night Motoko," Naru replied to Motoko's retreating form.

Naru stayed in the hot springs a little longer before she decided to leave. _Well tomorrow is another day. Maybe I'll wake up and find out that this was all a bad dream_, she thought as she headed towards her room.

**-------------------------------**

The Next Day:

Today was a rare morning in which Kitsune actually woke up early. The events of the day before had left her completely sober and it seemed that she had temporarily lost her appetite for sake.

The fox girl let out a yawn and stretched out on the futon. _I might as well go take a bath since I'm up so early, _she thought. Kitsune got up and grabbed a towel as she headed out of her room. _The others are probably already in the hot springs._ _It's been a while since I've gone to the bath so early._ As she passed by Keitaro's room, her mood turned sour. _Maybe Naru found a way to get rid of that asshole. After all she was ranked number one in the nation for the mock exams._

Kitsune opened the door to the changing room and began to take off her clothes. Before she get her shirt off however Keitaro walked in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" demanded Kitsune as she glared at Keitaro.

Keitaro was dressed in another suit. _It's a good thing I bought two suits, _he thought to himself.

He calmly looked at Kitsune and stated "You are not to enter the hot springs."

Kitsune could hear the other girls in the hot springs. "You cant' stop me from going into the hot springs," she said. "Looks like I should tell Naru and Motoko that you walked in on me changing, unlike me their not so forgiving," Kitsune gave him a wicked smile "Of course **you **already know that after Motoko the way mauled you yesterday." She turned around and began to walk towards the entrance of the hot springs.

"I said that you are not to enter the hot springs Konno," repeated Keitaro. He had dropped the honorific after her name.

"What makes you think that I'm going to listen to the likes of you," said Kitsune.

"I'm glad you asked," said Keitaro. "Allow me to explain."

Keitaro paused shortly before he began. "You see after the way you tried to molest me yesterday I have decided that it is unsafe to have you in the hot springs area if a minor is bathing."

"Are you kidding me?" Kitsune said in an infuriated voice.

"I just want to insure the protection of Maehara and Kaolla. After what you tried to do to me yesterday I would hate to find out what you might try on them."

"I'm not some kind of sick freak you dirty minded bastard!" she yelled.

"Well after you tried to pull I can't be too sure. This is just a precaution. As of now anyone over the age of 18 is not allowed into the hot springs area if there is a minor occupying it. This rule applies to everyone. And since you are the only tenant her besides me this rule seems to apply exclusively towards you. Narusegawa and Aoyama are minors as well and you will only be allowed into the hot springs if none of them are using it," Keitaro stated.

Kitsune did not know what to say to that. She had been struck speechless once again.

"I suggest that you vacate this area immediately," Keitaro said in a business like tone. "I will discuss the new rules and procedures with you all after breakfast," Keitaro turned around and swiftly walked out the changing room.

Keitaro couldn't help but smile._ Looks like the fox was no match for the man, _he thought as he walked to the common room.

**-------------------------------**


	4. Man In The Mirror

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 3: Man In The Mirror**

Kitsune stood there with pure disbelief etched on her face. _That… that bastard! I can't believe it. I saved his damned life and this is how he repays me?_

Kitsune had never been outsmarted in her life. It was like she was born with a natural talent. She could always see opportunities and seized them whenever she could. Kitsune was very clever; however she was very lazy and preferred to let others do the work for her.

_I could have never seen this coming. _Kitsune began to think feverishly. _Okay…okay, I can find a way out of this._

Kitsune could hear the voices of the other girls coming from the hot springs. She began to step towards the hot springs entrance but quickly stopped herself. _That wouldn't be a smart move, considering the fact that creep would be more than willing to find an excuse to evict me._

Suddenly a thought came to her mind. The fox girl quickly exited the changing area and scurried out the front door of the dormitory in a hurry. She was in such a hurry that she did not notice Keitaro standing just outside the kitchen. Apparently Keitaro was too preoccupied to notice her as well.

Kitsune took in a deep breath of fresh air as she stepped outside. This was one of the rare moments where she opened her eyes and looked up to the sky. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze. Her mood had dramatically changed from just moments ago. She began to walk down the stairs at a hurried pace. Kitsune rarely hurried but this was a dire situation and Kitsune wanted to resolve it as soon as possible.

Soon she reached her destination: The Hinata Tea Shop. _I bet I can get Haruka to do something about this, _she thought. Even thought Haruka was more perceptive than most people, she was still no match for Kitsune who always found ways to dip into her valuable stash of sake. Or maybe Haruka just let Kitsune think that she could outsmart her?

Kitsune pushed open the glass doors and walked into the tea shop. Surprisingly it was actually quite lively and full of people. _I always wondered how Haruka managed to make any profit from this shop. It always seemed like it was empty._ Kitsune quickly began to scan for Haruka. After a few moments she was able to find Haruka among the crowd of people in the shop. She was standing by a table and taking an order of a young woman.

The fox girl wasted no time as she strode over to Haruka. She tapped the tea shop owner on the shoulder. "Hey Haruka I need to talk to you," said Kitsune.

Haruka turned around and faced Kitsune. "Kitsune I'm a bit busy right now can we do this later?" she asked as she headed towards the kitchen.

Kitsune quickened her pace so she could keep up with Haruka as she followed her to the kitchen. "Actually this is kind of important," Kitsune stated.

"I'm sure it can wait," said Haruka as she grabbed someone's order and walked out of the kitchen.

Kitsune quickly followed Haruka and tried to keep up with the older woman's pace.

"It's about your nephew Keitaro," Kitsune said knowing that would get Haruka's attention.

It did catch Haruka's attention. "Did something happen to him?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"It's a long story," began Kitsune.

Haruka gave a frustrated sigh. "Even when he isn't here that boy is bad for my business," she looked over to Kitsune. "All right, just let me finish these next couple of orders and we'll talk."

Haruka walked over to one of the customers and handed them their order.

Curiosity got the better of Kitsune. "Hey Haruka this is the first time I've actually seen your tea shop full of people, are you having a sale or something?"

"Well if you actually bothered to come down here once in a while you'd know that the morning is the busiest time of day here. This is a café after all and breakfast is the main course served here," replied Haruka.

Kitsune gave a surprised look. "I never thought of that. Maybe that's how you get the money to buy all of that sake."

"You stay away from my sake," warned Haruka, but Kitsune was already walking to the kitchen.

Seeing how Kitsune wouldn't leave, Haruka decided to hear what Kitsune had to say so that she would be able to get back to work. She drew some smoke into her lungs to help calm herself and followed Kitsune into the kitchen.

As soon as they entered the kitchen Haruka gave Kitsune an impatient look. "Okay I'm listening. Make this as quick as you can."

"I'll try but like I said it's a long story," replied Kitsune. She began explaining the events that had transpired the night before between her and Keitaro.

**-------------------------------**

While this was taking place:

Keitaro walked through the common room in an excellent mood. _Being manager is hard work. I wonder what they got in this place to eat, _he thought as he strolled in the direction of the kitchen.

He was about to walk in when he suddenly came to an abrupt halt and backed up to the entryway. It seemed that Hinata Sou's resident cook was currently preparing breakfast. _Damn that was a close one, _thought Keitaro as he observed the blue haired girl.

_Maehara, Shinobu. She cooks all of the meals at Hinata Sou; has a very meek personality and is overwhelmed easily. The older girls are quite protective of her according to Haruka. It's probably best to avoid being alone with her._

Keitaro was just about to depart when his stomach gave out a loud growl. Shinobu turned around and said, "Breakfast is almost ready Su, just wait a little bit longer…," she stopped in mid sentence when she realized that it wasn't Su that she had been talking to.

_It's the new manager from yesterday, _thought Shinobu as she examined the young man. _"He's wearing another suit again. It looks really nice on him, _Shinobu cut short the thought. _Aauuu what am I thinking? Oh no I'm staring at him!_

Shinobu immediately fixed her gaze towards the ground as a blush appeared on her face. "G-g-good morning Manager-san," she stuttered.

Realizing that he couldn't leave now Keitaro politely responded to Shinobu. "Good morning Maehara-san."

"You can call me Shinobu," she said in a soft voice.

"I'm afraid I must insist Maehara-san," replied Keitaro. "Formality must be kept between a manager and their tenants."

An awkward silence followed after that.

"It seems that you are busy right now. I'll take my leave," Keitaro turned around to leave when Shinobu spoke up.

"Please wait. I'm almost done making breakfast and I made an extra plate for you," she said.

"Oh, that's alright Maehara-san. I'll just head down to Haruka's café to grab a bite to eat."

Shinobu got a tear-jerking expression on her face. "You don't think my cooking will taste good Manager-san?" she asked in crestfallen voice.

Keitaro maintained a calm exterior on the outside but on the inside he was mentally rebuking himself.

_I should have left when I had the chance. It's not like she has done anything wrong like Aoyama or Konno. This girl honestly believes that I will dislike her cooking. She is too damn naïve and innocent for her own good. I knew that being alone with her would be a bad idea. The others will probably misinterpret the scene and my authority as manager will come crashing down._

He sighed inwardly but on the outside he gave Shinobu a warm smile.

"Of course not Maehara-san, I didn't want to burden you but if you insist then I'll be honored to taste your cooking.

Shinobu's face lit up after hearing that he would be 'honored' to taste her cooking. She walked over to the stove with a timid grace and got a plate of food for Keitaro, which she placed on the table.

Keitaro gave her a polite smile and sat down on the table. He quietly began eating. Meanwhile Shinobu headed back to the stove to finish cooking the rest of the dish.

_Hey this is pretty damn good,_ thought Keitaro as he took a bite. _I can't believe someone as young as her can cook so well._

"This is very delicious Maehara-san, where did you learn to cook so well?"

"My family owned a restaurant and my mother and father taught me how to cook there. We used to all cook together as a family and then enjoy eating what we made. This was before my parents split up," Shinobu's voice faltered when she said that.

An uncomfortable silence followed afterwards.

_I shouldn't have asked that,_ thought Keitaro. _I completely forgot that her parents owned a restaurant that went out of business before they divorced. It was all in her profile._ Keitaro took another spoonful to his mouth. _Oh well, what's done is done. I should just finish eating and leave ASAP._

What Keitaro didn't realize is that Shinobu blamed herself for bringing up her family. _I promised myself that I wouldn't be sad over my parents anymore. I came to Hinata Sou because I didn't want to choose between them. Now Manager-san is going to think that I'm a crybaby that wants to go home._

Shinobu decided to break the silence. "Umm… Manager-san, are you okay from yesterday? Motoko-sempai hit you very hard. I was worried that you were hurt."

Keitaro gave Shinobu the expression of utmost confidence. "There's no way that mediocre swordswoman could actually harm me," he said in a dismissive voice. "But thank you for your concern Maehara-san."

Suddenly Keitaro had an idea. _Maybe I can use Maehara's naivety to my advantage,_ he thought.

"Can you believe that Aoyama-san attacked me even though I did nothing to provoke her?" he asked Shinobu.

"Motoko-sempai believes that men are evil and always tells me to be careful of them," Shinobu answered.

"Do I look evil to you Maehara-san?" questioned Keitaro.

Shinobu pondered the question for a moment. _He didn't even attack Motoko-sempai after she hit him._ Shinobu unconsciously began to stare at Keitaro. _He's also very polite and acts like a gentleman,_ a slight blush came onto her face at the thought.

The rest of the food seemed to be cooked so Shinobu walked over to the table and seated herself across from Keitaro.

"I don't think your evil at all Manager-san. You are polite nice and handsome…" Shinobu's eyes widened when she said that and she put her hands over her mouth in shock. _Aauu I can't believe I said that!_ she thought as she looked over to Keitaro with a horrified expression on her face.

_So she's infatuated with me,_ Keitaro thought amusedly. _That could prove to be useful to me._

He smiled at Shinobu and said "I think you're exaggerating Maehara-san. I may seem nice now but I can be a real monster sometimes. Don't you remember the way I growled earlier?"

Shinobu giggled when she remembered the sound of Keitaro's stomach growling while she had been cooking earlier. _He's funny too,_ she thought in admiration.

_Well that's my cue to split,_ thought Keitaro when he noticed the dreamy look in Shinobu's eyes.

"Thank you for the delicious breakfast Maehara-san," Keitaro said while he got up to wash the plate.

"I'll wash it Manager-san," Shinobu said as she scurried out of her seat to take the plate from Keitaro.

"Thank you," said Keitaro. He handed the plate over to the young girl.

_What a sweet girl,_ thought Keitaro as he was about to pat her affectionately on the head. _She reminds me so much of Kanako._

Immediately after the thought his mood turned sour and a flash of anger passed through his eyes.

Shinobu became aware of this and asked "Manager-san, are you okay?"

Keitaro came back to his senses and noticed that his hand was an inch away from patting the young girl's head.

A mixed expression between anger and fear appeared on his face. He quickly withdrew his hand as if Shnobu's head were made of acid.

"I have to leave. Please inform the tenants to report to the common room after breakfast," Keitaro said in a distressed voice and he hastily left the kitchen.

Shinobu watched him leave with a worried glance. _Aauuu I hope I didn't do anything to upset him._

Keitaro was too distraught to even think about Shinobu as he marched up the stairs and into his room.

_They're all the same. They pretend to be sweet and innocent and as soon as you let your guard down they bite,_ Keitaro began to organize all of the materials that he needed for the meeting on the new procedures. But even though he was trying to keep himself occupied Kanako's face kept coming back into his mind. Kanako had been such a sweet little sister. It pained Keitaro to see how much Kanako had changed over the years. _Women dangerous and unpredictable, I must use extreme caution around them._ He was finally able to calm down after he reassured himself with that thought.

**-------------------------------**

Haruka and Kitsune were walking up the stairs of Hinata Sou. The breakfast rush had finally ended and Haruka had decided to take a break and close down the shop for the afternoon. Kitsune hadn't eaten yet and could no wait to eat what Shinobu had cooked for breakfast.

Haruka's mind was on a totally different train of thought. She was extremely concerned about Keitaro's well being, especially after what Kitsune had told her.

As they approached the entrance to the dormitory, Haruka glanced over to Kitsune and said, "It's a good thing you told me what happened. Even though I think you're real motive for telling me wasn't your concern for Keitaro's welfare. I need to go have a chat with my nephew."

"Good luck with trying to get through to Demon-Eyes," said Kitsune.

"Demon-Eyes?" asked Haruka with a questioning look.

"That's my new nickname for him," replied Kitsune. "No human could be as cold and uncompassionate as him. The way his eyes glare when he's angry makes him look demonic, but it might just be the glasses he wears."

Haruka gave Kitsune a stern gaze. "I know it seems that Keitaro is a bit cold hearted but like I told Motoko, he's just had a hard life. Try not to judge him so quickly. Even though you might have helped him Kitsune, it was still wrong of you to try to seduce him."

Kitsune had heard everything that Haruka had said but her ears zoomed in on the part when she mentioned Motoko.

"That reminds me, what exactly happened between you and Motoko yesterday?" Kitsune asked.

Haruka let out an annoyed sigh and said, "Kitsune why don't you just go eat breakfast?"

With that said the two women went their separate ways.

Kitsune went into the kitchen and found everyone eating in a silence. The tension in the air was apparent.

"Good morning Kitsune," greeted Shinobu.

" G'Morning Shinobu," answered Kitsune as she sat down on her spot on the table.

"Oh that reminds me, Manager-san wants everyone to go to the common room after breakfast," Shinobu told Kitsune.

_So that's why it's so quiet,_ thought Kitsune as she began eating. Motoko ate with her usual stoic silence but it was apparent that she was anxious. Naru was lost in thought. She looked like she was trying to figure out the answer to a difficult problem but the answer kept eluding her. Even Su seemed less energetic due to the somber mood everyone had around her. Kitsune decided it was best not to say anything and ate in silence as well.

**-------------------------------**

Haruka briskly walked up the stairs and knocked on Keitaro's door.

"I'm busy," said Keitaro's voice from inside the room.

"Keitaro, it's me," said Haruka.

"You can come in Haruka," replied Keitaro.

Haruka slid open the door and walked in. Keitaro was sitting on a small couch located at the far corner of the room. He wasn't wearing his blazer jacket and his tie was loosened around his shirt collar. His sleeves were rolled up and he was staring the ceiling with a dazed expression.

Haruka wasted no time getting to the point. "Keitaro I want you to tell me everything that happened yesterday after I left with Motoko."

Keitaro gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about? I went to my room right after you left."

"What happen after that?" pressed Haruka.

"Not much," answered Keitaro.

"That's not what Kitsune told me," said Haruka.

Keitaro didn't say anything to that. However the silence was enough to prove that what Kitsune had told her was true.

"You should have told me that you were hurt. I would've taken you to the hospital," said Haruka.

"I'm fine, I told you that my invincibility factor would take care of it," Keitaro replied.

"God damn it Keitaro. You might think that you're immortal but you could have died yesterday," Haruka gave out a frustrated sigh before she continued. "Keitaro, you weren't being confident you were being arrogant. It's that damned pride of yours that almost got you killed."

"It's my pride that got me here. If it wasn't for my pride I probably would have groveled at my mother's feet and begged her to let me stay at home," Keitaro shot back.

"Then why didn't you move out of the way when Motoko attacked you? She deliberately went slow because she only wanted to scare you. You didn't even attempt to avoid it," said Haruka. "And why did you have to bring up Motoko's personal life?"

Keitaro began to laugh sarcastically. "You see, that's **exactly** the problem with you women. Nobody even blamed Aoyama for attacking me without provocation," he glared at Haruka. "You're saying that it's **my** fault for not moving? You're saying that **I** should've known better? Haruka, that psycho almost murdered me. What in the hell makes you think that I shouldn't have at least said something to defend myself? **You** should have called the cops and had that freak arrested, but instead you're up here trying to lecture me about my pride."

Haruka was dumbfounded. What Keitaro had said was completely true but this wasn't like him at all. _I knew that Keitaro had changed but I didn't that he would turn into him to be a completely different person._ "Keitaro what you said is absolutely right. It's just that the way you reacted was completely unexpected. You used to be so kind and you always looked on the bright side of things. What happened to all of that? Why are you so angry all the time?"

Keitaro replied in a solemn voice. "I've come to realize that even thought happiness is a powerful feeling it only lasts for a fleeting moment before it's gone. Nobody stays satisfied for long." His eyes got a faraway look. "Anger and sorrow are what truly shake the soul. They leave a permanent scar that never truly heals. People can spend an eternity wallowing in their rage. You always hear about people spending their whole lives being angry at the world and plotting revenge, but you never hear about people spending their whole lives being happy and content."

"When I look back on my life I realize that it sucked pretty badly. Why did it seem that I always had to look on the bright side? Everyone else seemed to bitch about stupid things. At least I had a reason to complain. School was a living hell that was ruled by some of the most wicked girls you could meet. Home is suppose to be the place where you can find solace and comfort when the outside world gets hard but home wasn't much better if not worse. I never felt comfortable anywhere."

This was starting to become a bit intense for Haruka. She lit a cigarette to help relax her nerves as Keitaro poured out his soul to her.

"Do you know why I always helped others, even if it meant sacrificing what I wanted? The reason wasn't because I was a kind person. I believed that I had no talent and would never really succeed in life. I felt that if I tried to help others out, maybe their successes could be my successes as well."

Haruka walked over to the couch and sat next to Keitaro. _He's been keeping this bottled up,_ she thought as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder and urged him to continue.

Seeing that Haruka was giving him her full attention Keitaro began to speak again.

"You know I would always ask myself 'Do I want better' and the answer was 'of course'. The problem was I felt that even though I wanted a better life I felt as if I didn't deserve it. I thought of myself as a pathetic loser that deserved nothing and that the world would be a much better place if I just disappeared. No one ever showed any faith in me. I developed an inferiority complex that lead to one failure after another."

Suddenly a fire came into Keitaro's eyes and Haruka saw why Kitsune had nick named him Demon-Eyes. They seemed to be ablaze with pure anger, determination, pride and ambition.

"But you know what Haruka, the question I should have asked wasn't 'Do I want better?' the question that I should have been asking is 'Do I deserve better?' and the answer to that is yes I do deserve better. Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. I lived my whole life for others. I spent fifteen years trying to fulfill a promise to a girl that I don't even remember. Why did I do that?... It was because I didn't want to disappoint her by not making it into Tokyo U. What a waste. She probably wouldn't even give a damn if I made it in." Keitaro laughed bitterly. "I never put any focus on myself. Everyone came before me and that's why I never got anywhere. I am so sick of always putting others before me. No one showed me any gratitude, even if I busted my ass to help them. Now is the time to push myself further and become something great. Call me selfish if you want. I am being selfish, but you know what? From now on I'm going to live my own life. I am not going to be anyone's tool anymore. I don't need anyone. From now on I'll look after **myself** and **my** interests."

Keitaro felt emotionally exhausted after that. It felt so good to get all of that off his chest. He laid his head on Haruka's shoulder and closed his eyes for a little bit.

Keitaro rested his eyes for a few minutes before he lifted his head and looked over to Haruka and noticed the cigarette in her mouth. _I've never done it before but…_

"Haruka can I have a cigarette?" he asked.

The older woman gave him a skeptical look.

"Please, I just need something to help calm myself," he said.

Haruka noticed that Keitaro's eyes seemed a bit red. _It looks like he's about to have a nervous breakdown,_ she thought. Keitaro looked very tense and stressed out. _I guess it couldn't hurt,_ thought Haruka as she pulled out a cigarette and handed it to Keitaro who put it in his mouth.

"I don't want you to make a habit out of this. Smoking isn't good for you," said Haruka as she lit his cigarette.

Keitaro took his first hit and immediately began coughing.

"Whoa, slow down a bit tiger. Don't try to take that deep of a hit," Haruka said in an amused voice. "You always cough in the beginning."

Keitaro inhaled again but this time not as deeply. As the smoke filled his lungs, he began to feel the calming sensations from the nicotine. He coughed again but not as much this time.

As he blew out a cloud of smoke from his mouth he asked Haruka, "Do you think that I'm an evil person?"

Haruka showed no hesitation when she answered, "Not at all Keitaro. You had to go through things that most people never have to experience. You're a victim of the bad circumstances in life."

"What about the tenants here? I bet that after yesterday, they think I'm evil even though all I did was protect myself," said Keitaro.

"Well Kitsune did nickname you Demon-Eyes," Haruka said in a joking tone.

"Really? I think it's the glasses," Keitaro said pointing to the sleek pair of glasses on his face. They had a slim silver frame and were low cut giving his eyes a sharp angry look.

"What happened to your old glasses?" asked Haruka.

"I got rid of those hideous things a long time ago," Keitaro replied with a hint of disgust.

"But I thought those glasses were cute," Haruka said with a teasing smile.

Keitaro rolled his eyes.

"But seriously Keitaro, what you said about the girls thinking you were evil. They misjudged you because you gave them the impression of being a cold and angry person. They misunderstood your actions since they don't know anything about your past and your personality," said Haruka.

"Every woman I've met judged me on the spot or tried to take advantage of me," whispered Keitaro.

"Keitaro not all women are like that…" Haruka tried to explain.

"So is it only the ones I've known?" Keitaro's tone had a cynical sarcasm to it. "Besides you Haruka, every woman I've met had done that to me. It's no different here. Aoyama judged me the moment she laid eyes on me. Konno tried to take advantage of me when I was badly injured. Everywhere I go it's the same thing."

Haruka had no argument against that. It seemed that Keitaro's reasons were foolproof. In fact Haruka began to question how she would have turned out had she been in Keitaro's place. Everything that happened in his life warped his personality to the point where he was almost unrecognizable from the way he used to be. _We're all shaped by the events that occur in our life and the environment that we live in. Keitaro has been a victim of his own life which never truly belonged to him until now._

There was a knock on Keitaro's door.

"Who is it?" asked Keitaro blowing out another smoke cloud. He had become quite the pro at that.

"It's Shinobu… umm I mean Maehara…er…I mean all of us are waiting in the common room for you Manager-san," said Shinobu's voice from outside the door.

"I'll be down in a minute," Keitaro replied.

"Okay," said Shinobu and they heard her footsteps heading towards the stairs.

"What was that about?" asked Haruka.

"It's time for me to inform the tenants about the new rules and changes that will take place at Hinata Sou," said Keitaro.

Keitaro got up and began to fix up his ruffled clothes. He tightened his tie and took out the blazer jacket from the closet. Haruka noticed how his demeanor completely changed. He had gone from looking like a nervous wreck to looking calm and confident. _It's almost like he put on a mask,_ Haruka thought astonished at the sudden transformation in Keitaro's appearance.

Keitaro disposed of the cigarette and headed to the door. "Are you coming Haruka?" he asked as he slid open the door. Haruka followed him out the door. They walked out of the room and were soon descending down the stairs.

The girls were all positioned in the common room and there was an anxious silence filling the air.

Keitaro began to speak in a confident business like tone. "As I told you all yesterday the reason that I asked you here is to notify everyone about the new rules at Hinata Sou. If everyone can adhere to the system then there will be no problems, but if you choose to defy these there will be consequences. In order to avoid this I will need your cooperation."

He paused and looked at the tenants. No one stood up and tried to talk back like yesterday. However he could see the resentment coming from the older girls. Motoko in particular was glaring at him. Her hand inched toward her sword but she did not do anything further.

Keitaro saw this and his anger began to rise again. _I'm not going to back down to anyone. Unlike her I'll use my brain instead of my fists._

"Before I begin explaining the new system I'll tell you the first rule." Keitaro pointed to Motoko's sword. "There will be no weapons allowed on the premises of Hinata Sou."

**-------------------------------**


	5. Breaking The Shell

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime only.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 4: Breaking The Shell**

Motoko did not show any response. It took her a couple of moments to comprehend what Keitaro had just said.

Due to Motoko's blank look on her face Keitaro repeated himself. "I will not begin until this first rule has been fulfilled. Aoyama I want you to remove that lethal weapon from this building."

Motoko defiantly stared at him. _I knew that allowing this male to stay here was a mistake. He will try to weaken us one by one until we are defenseless. Then he can do whatever he wants with us._ _No…I will not allow that to happen. It is my responsibility to protect the girls of Hinata Sou from the lecherous ways of males._

"I refuse," Motoko stated. "This sword is a part of me and was given to me by my elder sister. I am warrior and I will not let a man try to take my way of life away from me."

"Are you referring to your murderous way of life?" Keitaro asked with a hint of anger but he managed to keep it contained.

"How dare you? I have led the honorable and noble life of a warrior…"

Unable to contain his anger any longer Keitaro cut her off. "Is your memory really that horrendous? Have you already forgotten how you brutally attacked me yesterday?"

Motoko felt a sort of pang go through her chest. She flashed back to the memory of when she had attacked him. It kept playing in her mind over and over again. Her head began to ache and she felt the same symptoms of her cold that she had yesterday return.

_Why is this happening again?_ She looked over to Keitaro who was glowering at her. _Those eyes… those demonic eyes, he can't be human. Has he put some kind of curse on me?_

Motoko stood up and pulled out her sword. Her face was flushed and she was starting to slightly sweat. "Foul demon! What kind of curse have you laid on me?"

Keitaro didn't answer but continued to stare her down.

"I should have banished you yesterday when I had the chance." Motoko lifted her sword and prepared to attack. _This time I'll would use one of my ki attacks to knock him out of Hinata Sou._

Due to her current state she was not able to move as quickly as she normally would. Her sword began to glow a bright blue color as she approached Keitaro.

"Now be gone!" yelled Motoko as she swung her sword to release the ki energy.

However before she could hit Keitaro, Shinobu ran in front of him with her arms out as if to shield him from the blast. "Motoko-sempai please don't hurt him!" the young girl shouted.

Keitaro's eyes widened in alarm, but he knew that it was too late to do anything to save Shinobu. His reflexes were too slow and Haruka was standing too far to intervene. Having Shinobu step in to help him was an unexpected turn of events that never crossed Keitaro's mind. _Damn it! This wasn't supposed to happen. _"Maehara-san you must move out of the way!" he yelled. Shinobu shook her head and refused to budge from her spot.

Motoko had a look of cold fear on her face. _I cannot stop my attack! I am going to hit Shinobu!_ With as much strength as she could gather Motoko tried to pull back on her attack. Even though she managed to greatly reduce the power of the attack, she was unable to change its direction.

A small wave of a bright blue energy hit Shinobu and knocked her down about ten feet from where she had been standing. All of the girls immediately rushed up to Shinobu.

Keitaro was about to go help Shinobu when he was pushed away by Naru and Kitsune. Su followed in suit.

"Shinobu are you okay?" asked a very worried Su. Shinobu didn't answer and her eyes were closed.

Naru felt for her pulse. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt the beating of the pulse. "She's just unconscious," reported Naru.

"Thank God," whispered Kitsune.

Motoko was in a complete shock and did not move a muscle during the whole ordeal. She just looked on as tears poured down her face. _What have I done? I have attacked one of the very people that I was trying to protect._ Her grip around her sword tightened. It was her natural reaction whenever she felt at unease.

Haruka noticed this and with incredible speed she went up behind Motoko and put her into a choke hold. Motoko tensed up when she felt Haruka's arms wrap around her neck but she didn't resist and even if she had tried to, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to break free of Haruka's vice like grip.

"Motoko drop the sword," Haruka said in her usual dead pan voice.

Motoko complied and released her sword from her hand. The clanging of the sword making contact with the ground echoed throughout Hinata Sou.

Haruka released her hold on Motoko and picked up the sword. "I'll hold on to this for now."

Motoko's knees buckled and she fell to the ground on her knees. The tears slid down her cheeks and fell to the ground.

Naru and Kitsune picked up Shinobu and laid her down on one of the couches in the common room.

Keitaro looked at Shinobu with concern. "Haruka I think you should call the hospital," he suggested.

Haruka gave him a slight nod and headed over to the phone.

Keitaro looked over to Motoko who was staring into space with a miserable expression. _All my fault…it's all my fault. I'm sorry Shinobu._ Her head felt like it was going to split into two pieces and her body was aching all over.

Once Naru had made sure that Shinobu would be alright for the time being she went over to aid Motoko.

"Su, watch over Shinobu," instructed Kitsune as headed toward Motoko.

"You can count on me!" said Su with a salute. She began to watch over Shinobu like a hawk.

"Keitaro come over here real quick!" called Haruka. She pointed to the telephone that she was holding up to her ear.

Keitaro left the scene to assist Haruka on the phone.

Kitsune and Naru were both trying to comfort Motoko. The swordswoman was lost in her own world and did not respond to anything around her. She felt extremely tired and collapsed on Kitsune. With the help of Naru, Kitsune was able to place Motoko on the couch across from the one Shinobu was on.

Haruka returned to the common room. "The dispatch should be here soon," she announced to everyone. The girls gave a nod of approval and went back to their current tasks.

Haruka looked to the couch where Naru and Kitsune huddled around. In between them she spotted a very grief-stricken Motoko. Haruka quickly strode over to them to inspect Motoko more closely. Kitsune and Naru moved out of the way as Haruka began to check the distressed swordswoman.

Haruka placed her hand on Motoko's forehead. "You're burning up," she stated.

Keitaro was just entering the common room when Haruka called out to him. "Hey Keitaro, go into the kitchen and get an ice pack out of the freezer."

The young man turned around and headed back towards the kitchen to fetch the said item.

"Please leave me be," Motoko said in a somber voice.

Haruka understood that she wanted to be left alone and ushered Naru and Kitsune away from her.

Everyone's attention gradually shifted back to the unconscious Shinobu.

Keitaro returned from the kitchen with the ice pack in his hand. One quick glance at Motoko was enough to tell him that the she was the one who needed the ice pack. He went up to the young woman who showed no reaction to his approach.

The manager knelt down and slid the ice pack underneath her raven black bangs. He then gently pressed it against her forehead. Motoko snapped out of her daze and noticed Keitaro but still she did not do anything.

Keitaro let out an anguished sigh. "Are you finally satisfied?" he whispered bitterly before he stood back up and left Motoko to her thoughts.

There was nothing else anyone could do except wait for the dispatch to arrive. A knock on the door was heard about ten minutes later.

"They're here," said Keitaro rushing over to the front door. He opened it up and let the paramedics in.

The paramedics wasted no time and without delay they began to examine the unconscious Shinobu.

Everyone else moved out of the way to allow the medics do their job. One of the medics addressed the Hinata Sou residents.

"Could I please get a statement from you?" he asked and indicated that they should move to a different area.

Haruka decided to have them relocate to the kitchen. The girls were all seated around the dining table. Keitaro, Haruka and the medic remained standing.

The medic pulled out a clip board. "I'm going to need to file an incident report. First off, who is in charge here?"

"That would be me," said Haruka.

Keitaro was slightly annoyed by this but decided to let it go for the time being.

"Can you please tell me what happened to the young lady?" inquired the medic.

Haruka surveyed the kitchen and noticed Motoko, who was gazing at the ground with a sullen expression. The café owner contemplated on what to say.

Keitaro continued to stay in the background and anticipated what Haruka's answer would be.

"She…" Haruka began but Su interjected.

"She fell down the stairs," Su said in an abnormally serious tone that contradicted her usual upbeat way of speaking.

Haruka glanced at Su and saw the pleading look in the foreign girl's eyes.

Without faltering Haruka spoke to the medic. "That's correct. She was taking the laundry upstairs to the roof, but lost her footing because she was unable to see the stairs over the basket she was holding."

Su, Kitsune and Naru all visibly relaxed after Haruka gave her explanation. None of them had wanted Motoko to be taken away from Hinata Sou.

The swordswoman released a breath that she had not realized she was holding. The fact that she felt relief only made her feel guiltier because she was running away from her punishment and too afraid to come out and tell the truth. _I am a spineless coward,_ she thought miserably.

During the entire affair Keitaro had showed no reaction whatsoever and continued to watch with a neutral expression.

The medic seemed satisfied with Haruka's story and quickly jotted it down on his pad.

Just then one of the other paramedics entered the kitchen. "I am happy to announce that your friend is conscious now. We've given her some pain killers and she might be numb for a while. Please refrain from moving her for the next hour. You may go see her."

Everyone filed out of the kitchen with a hurried anticipation. Inside the common room they found the paramedics gathering up their belongings. Keitaro went up and thanked them for a job well done. He then accompanied them on their way out along with Haruka who said that she had to get back to work.

Su, Naru and Kitsune hurried over to Shinobu and began bombarding her with questions about what had happened.

Finally Motoko walked into the common room with a look of resolve on her face. _I must ask Shinobu to forgive me. It is the least I can do to atone for what I have done._ She took a deep breath and advanced to the sofa where Shinobu was lying on. The other girls cleared the way, knowing that something important was about to happen.

Shinobu was wide awake but was unable to move her body due to the numbness she was feeling, however she was able to speak with relative ease. Shinobu noticed the girls retreat back unexpectedly and wondering why she turned her neck to the side and caught sight of Motoko.

Motoko went down on her knees in order to be eye level with Shinobu. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm okay, but my arms feel like noodles" Shinobu replied trying to lighten the mood.

Motoko gave her a sad smile. "Shinobu, I did not mean for you to be harmed. You are one of the very people that I feel it is my duty to protect. However I failed to do that and moreover I am the reason you were hurt. I will give up the sword until I can prove myself to be an honorable warrior once again. If there is anything that I can do to atone for my mistake please tell me and I will gladly do my best to fulfill it. Shinobu, I humbly ask for your forgiveness," Motoko bowed deeply in repentance.

"Motoko-sempai please don't give up your dream of being a master swordswoman. Just because Manager-san doesn't want you to practice at Hinata Sou, it does not mean that you have to stop practicing kendo."

Motoko's head jerked up at the comment. "But I can't…"

"**You** owe me Motoko-sempai. This is what I want you to do for me," it was ironic that even though Shinobu was physically more fragile then she usually was her personality had become much more assertive. It seemed that the timid girl was starting to come out of her shell.

"If that is what you wish, then I will do my best to fulfill it," Motoko replied with a resigned sigh, but it was obvious that she was content with Shinobu's 'demand'. Motoko didn't know what she would do if she gave up kendo. It was her life, her passion. Everything seemed to be okay; however there was something that kept bothering Motoko. "I must ask you, why did you try to defend that male? I've warned you before about the evil way of men."

"He's a good person Motoko-sempai. I think he's angry because people have done bad things to him. Please don't try to hurt him anymore. I don't like to see people in my family fighting with each other." _That's' the reason why I left my parents. I was so sick and tired of having to see them fight each other all the time._

_She considers us her family?_ thought Motoko. _I thought I was the only one who felt that way._ "Okay Shinobu, I won't hurt him. But that does not mean that I want him to stay here."

"Want who to stay here?"

All eyes turned to the direction of the voice. It was Keitaro.

_How long has he been standing there?_ thought Kitsune.

"Maehara-san, how are you feeling?" Keitaro asked with genuine concern. No one had stood up for him before. The concern he was feeling was new to him.

"I'm okay Manager-san. You can finish what you were telling us earlier."

"Yes I will continue. Everyone please get yourselves seated, hopefully there won't be anymore outbursts," Keitaro said looking straight at Motoko.

Motoko glared at Keitaro but did not do anything further. She took her seat but did not feel her sword press against her as it usually did when she sat. She looked to her side and realized her sheath was empty. "My sword…" she began

"Haruka has taken your sword with her. You may retrieve it from her, but you cannot not bring it into this building," Keitaro answered Motoko's unfinished question.

Motoko decided not to pursue the matter any further, though it did feel awkward not to have her sword beside her.

"As you know this is an old building and proper maintenance is required in order to keep it running efficiently. The tasks for this will be divided among you and there will be a schedule to show who has done what."

Naru cut in, "Wait a minute you're the manager. Why should we be the ones doing all the work?"

"In case you haven't noticed I am only one person and there is only so much that I can do. After all don't you live here as well? As tenants, it is your responsibility as well as mine to look after Hinata Sou,"

"But we pay to live here," Naru retorted.

"And I don't want you to live here," Keitaro swiftly replied. He pointed to the front door.

Naru took the hint. She crossed her arms in annoyance since she was unable to come up with an argument to that.

Keitaro began speaking again. "Since Maehara-san already does the laundry and the cooking here, she will have no additional work added. That leaves the rest of you in charge of making sure the rest of the work is completed."

Upon receiving no argument he continued.

"First we will cover the issue of the hot springs. I will have one of you clean them once a week,"

"That's way too much for one person to do," Kitsune interrupted.

Keitaro pondered that for a moment. "I suppose you're right. I may be tough but I am fair. Okay then, I will have you work in pairs. You will rotate each week. I'll leave the pairings up to you but remember: choose your partner wisely," he added and looked at Kitsune in particular.

"Me and Motoko! Me and Motoko!" Su chimed, pumping a fist in the air.

"I guess the other group will be with Narusegawa and Konno then," Keitaro said with an amused smile.

Naru gave an indifferent look. It hadn't dawned to her that even though Kitsune was her best friend. Having her as a partner for working may not be the best choice.

"There is also a new rule regarding the hot springs. From now on if there are any minors bathing, no adults are to enter the hot springs. I refer to adults as anyone over the age of eighteen. As of now this rule only applies to Konno,"

"Wait, are you saying that Kitsune has to bathe by herself? That's not fair" said Naru.

"I have my reasons. I don't want any of the younger tenants to be molested in the bath. Konno may be alone for now, but don't worry Narusegawa. You won't be seventeen forever."

"Is that a threat?" Naru asked her anger beginning to rise.

"It's merely a heads up," answered Keitaro.

Motoko could not hold her silence any longer. "We are females. We do not have any of the perverted urges that men do. What makes you think that any of us molest someone?"

"Women are not the focal point of a man's thoughts. I don't know where you got the notion that all a man wants in life is to get a woman. To answer your question, I am doing this as a precaution just as I wanted to rid Hinata Sou of weapons. However I was unable to that quick enough and look what it led to."

Motoko understood that he was referring to what she had done to Shinobu. She felt a slight twinge on her forehead which reminded her that the ice pack was still on her forehead. Seeing as how it was still helping her Motoko did not make a move to remove it, though she did remember who it was that had placed it there. _This man was very hard to understand. Why did he help me? Was it only because Haruka instructed him to?_

Keitaro went on to explain how the rest of the household tasks were to be done.

"I am not going to give you a long list of rules. The only other rule that I have is no alcohol inside the building," Keitaro said.

Kitsune eyes fully opened upon hearing this. She had already realized that arguing with him was no use. It was like taking a train head on. _Okay Demon-Eyes, I'll let you have your rule, but let's see if you'll be able to find my secret stash._

"I expect all of the alcohol to be removed from this building in one hour. If I have any suspicion that you are still carrying it, I reserve the right to thoroughly search any part of this building. Do not give me reasonable doubt because I will not hesitate to search any of your rooms," he stated.

This did not bother any of the other girls since none of them except Kitsune drank alcohol on a regular basis.

"In order to enforce these rules and make sure that the tenants show respect to one another as well as myself, I have a system called the Three Strike Rule. For every major offense that you commit you will be given a strike. If you accumulate three strikes you will be evicted from Hinata Sou right away and you will be forbidden to return to the property. Unfortunately one of you has already collected strikes," said Keitaro.

He paused for a few moments. All the girls were glancing nervously at one another. Although some of them were more nervous than others, none of them were entirely sure that they could rule themselves out.

Feeling that the suspense was killing them Keitaro looked over to Motoko and his eyes narrowed. "Aoyama, for viciously attacking me without provocation: strike one. For attempting to assault me again today: strike two. And for disgracefully harming Maehara-san: strike three," he raised his hand in the air with three fingers up.

Motoko warily gazed at Keitaro's hand. _That means…_

"That is three strikes. You are hereby evicted from Hinata Sou. Go pack all of your belongings that you can carry. The rest of your possessions will be sent to your new address," Keitaro spoke with no emotion. There was no hint of triumph on his face. He was simply a man doing his job.

"Oh and by the way, I do expect you to pay for the suit that you ruined yesterday," Keitaro added.

No one knew what to do or say. Eventually Motoko was stood up and was about to make her way to her room when she heard Shinobu speak up.

"Manager-san please don't make Motoko-sempai leave," she pleaded.

"I'm sorry Maehara-san, but those are the rules," Keitaro replied.

"That's not fair! You didn't tell anyone about this rule until now. Give her one more chance. Just one more chance," Shinobu beseeched the manager.

_Just one more chance._ Those words struck a chord within Keitaro. _One more chance to prove yourself. To show everyone that you're not a failure._

"Please take off the strike you gave her because of me. I know Motoko-sempai didn't hurt me on purpose. She would never do something like that," said Shinobu.

Keitaro glanced over to Motoko. "Be thankful to Maehara-san. It is because of her and only because of her that I will erase the third strike. That does not erase the other two strikes and if you commit one more major offense you will be evicted from Hinata Sou,"

Everyone was deeply relieved that Motoko would be allowed to stay, but none were as relieved as Su. She had been scared to death at the prospect of Motoko leaving. She and Motoko shared a strong bond and the swordswoman was the only one strong enough to put up sleeping with her at night. Without realizing it Su had gripped her chest so tightly that it hurt when she let go.

The girls were all surprised at Shinobu's outbursts. She had shown herself to be far more strong willed then any of them had expected. The shell that she had been around her when she had first arrived appeared to be breaking. Ever since the new manager had arrived they had noticed a change in Shinobu. Never had the shy girl been as aggressive as she was today.

Keitaro had wanted to talk to Shinobu, but the presence of the other girls deterred him from doing so. He was curious as to why she had risked her life to save him. He did not realize it but part of him was also concerned for her well being.

"I have given you a breakdown of the rules. This is how we are going to operate from now on. So if you would excuse me I have other matters to attend to," Keitaro ended the meeting and departed to his room.

"Wow Shinobu, I've never heard you talk so much before!" said Su. She ran up to the blue haired girl but then stopped and looked at her curiously.

Shinobu's eyes were closed and she was gently breathing in and out.

"She's asleep," said Naru. "Let her rest for a while. She's been through a lot today,"

"So what now?" asked Kitsune.

"Well I have to go study. The mock exams are coming up soon," Naru seemed to be unusually calm after everything that had happened.

"I guess I should go clear out the sake from my room," Kitsune said sarcastically and left for her room.

Su ran outside to go play.

Motoko was the only left besides Shinobu. She did not want to leave just yet. _I shall rest a bit myself,_ she thought and closed her eyes.

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro was taking out the rest of his belongings from his suitcase. _Looks like I'm here for the long haul,_ he thought to himself. He was reaching in to pull out another shirt when his hand felt an envelope. Curious to what it was he took it out and looked at it. He opened it up and read the letter. His eyes widened at the contents of the letter. It was the registration form for the mock exams at Tokyo U.

_Today is the last day to register! Damn it. I completely forgot!_ He quickly stuffed the letter in his pocket and rushed out the bedroom door. Down the steps and out the front door, Keitaro hurried as fast as he could to the train station.

About 45 Minutes Later:

Keitaro disembarked the train and quickly headed to the campus of Tokyo U. He made his way inside the main building. _Now let's find that registration room,_ he began to walk down the hallway.

Unbeknownst to the young man there was a frail young woman walking down the hallway perpendicular to the one he was on.

"My name is Otohime, Mutsumi Student Number: 84679. My name is Otohime, Mutsumi Student Number: 84679. My name is Otohime, Mutsumi Student Number: 84679…," she chanted to herself over and over again.

Keitaro reached the corner and bumped into her. "Sorry about that," he apologized. He looked over to the young girl and to his horror found her dead on the ground.

**-------------------------------**


	6. Late Registration

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 5: Late Registration**

Keitaro stared at the fallen woman with dread etched on his face. _Is she dead?_ He reached over to check for a pulse but decided against it. He had learned long before that making any physical contact with a female was almost always misinterpreted. Keitaro surveyed the hallway to see if anyone was around. It was empty. _I can't just leave her here._ He mulled over what to do.

The woman's eyes suddenly opened and she slowly stood up and brushed off her dress. "Did I faint again?" she looked up and noticed Keitaro. "Hello my name is Otohime, Mutsumi Student Number… ara I can't remember."

Keitaro had barely been able to restrain himself from being jumping back in fright. This girl had practically come back from the dead and was acting like nothing had happened.

Overlooking the startled look Keitaro was giving her Mutsumi continued to speak. "What is your name?"

_I should get away from her before anything else happens,_ thought Keitaro. Wanting to leave the scene he hastily replied, "My name is Urashima, Keitaro." he immediately turned around and began to walk away.

"Kei-kun?"

This stopped Keitaro cold in his tracks. "I beg your pardon?" he asked

Mutsumi herself was perplexed. "Oh I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. It was the first thing that came to mind," she said.

"That's all right," replied Keitaro. Without saying anything further he stepped into the other hallway and headed left towards the registration room.

As Keitaro continued down the hallway he could hear footsteps coming up behind him. Assuming that the person was going in the same direction, Keitaro continued to walk without giving it much thought. Five minutes later however curiosity with a touch of paranoia was getting the better of Keitaro and he started to wonder who was tailing him. He did not want to make it obvious by looking back.

The lights from the ceiling were causing a glare in his glasses. It gave off a reflection of the surroundings behind him. He focused in on the glare and was able to make out the person that was apparently following him. _It's that Otohime woman again._ Just to make sure that she was indeed following him Keitaro stopped abruptly. When he did he noted that Mutsumi stopped as well. He started walking and he heard Mutsumi's footsteps start up as well. Once again he stopped. He no longer heard her footsteps behind him and she did not pass him up.

Keitaro did an about face. "Can I help you with something?" he asked in a mildly irritated voice.

Mutsumi clasped her hands together. "I was hoping you could help me find where the mock exam registration is. I've been wandering around for hours."

"Didn't you notice the signs?" asked Keitaro. He pointed to the signs that were pinned up on the wall every ten feet or so apart from each other. They read '**Mock Exam Registration'** and each had an arrow pointing in the direction to go to.

"Ara, I must have been so caught up in trying to remember my Student Number that I didn't see them," Mutsumi replied with an airy smile.

Upon hearing this Keitaro almost face faulted, but he kept his poise.

Keitaro was about to turn back around and to his surprise he found Mutsumi standing right next to him. Ignoring her 'teleportation', Keitaro strode forward. Mutsumi kept her pace up beside him.

Trying to break the ice she started to talk. "This is my third time that I'll be applying to get into Tokyo U."

_Somehow I'm not surprised,_ thought Keitaro. "You seem determined to get in," he said.

"Well Tokyo U is the only university for me. I'll keep trying until I get accepted," she said with a buoyant voice.

"You should relax. These aren't even the real tests," said Keitaro, but Mutsumi's enthusiasm was contagious and was starting to affect him as well.

"What about you?" asked Mutsumi, "Why are you applying for Tokyo U?"

"To claim an inheritance," he replied simply.

"Oh…is it money?" she questioned with genuine curiosity.

"Actually it's an old in called Hinata Sou," said Keitaro. "It currently belongs to my grandmother."

"Hina?"

"That's her name. How did you know?" asked an astonished Keitaro.

Mutsumi put her hand over her mouth. "I don't know. The name just popped up," she was bewildered herself.

Keitaro was sharing in her confusion. _How does she…?_ He didn't know what to make of this.

"You did say that Hinata Sou used to be an Inn. I may have lodged there and that's how I remember her name," Mutsumi said offering an explanation. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it.

"Yes…yes of course," Keitaro said trying to reassure himself. "After all, it used to be quite a popular hotel."

By now they had reached the registration office. It looked like an empty classroom with a desk up front. There was a woman sitting in it and was inputting information into the computer. There were five people standing in line waiting to get registered.

_At least the line is short,_ thought Keitaro.

"At least the line is short," Mutsumi said out loud at the same time. She stepped into the line.

_That was bizarre,_ Keitaro mused as he got in line behind Mutsumi.

**-------------------------------**

Back at Hinata Sou, Naru was hard at work studying in her room. The mock exams were going to be coming up in a couple of weeks and she needed to be prepared. Naru had registered on the first day and her exam ticket was safely placed inside her diary. She checked to make sure it was there whenever she wrote in it, which was basically everyday.

The Tokyo U aspirant yawned and stretched out her arms. _It's time for a break,_ she thought as she removed her legs from the table and did a full body stretch. Naru slid her open her bedroom door and stepped out. The dormitory was unusually quiet. Wanting to enjoy the tranquility, Naru slowly strolled down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. She propped open the fridge and searched for something to eat. "Oh, this looks nice," she said out loud and reached in to pull out some leftover food from breakfast.

Once she had heated up the food, Naru took a seat at the dining table and ate her snack.

_Where is everyone?_ Naru wondered as she leaned over on her chair to peer into the common room. She hadn't been paying attention while she had walked passed the common earlier, but she now noticed that Shinobu wasn't lying on the couch anymore. The whole place seemed deserted.

Starting to feel a bit bored, Naru quickly finished up her snack and decided to find out where everyone was. She surveyed the lobby when it hit her. _Of course! _she thought, almost slapping herself on her head. She hurried over to the hot springs.

Kitsune had decided to take a bath before she moved out '**all'** of her sake. She was lying against her favorite rock and clutched a sake bottle in her hand. Always the procrastinator, Kitsune was trying to put this off for as long as possible. _I still have about half an hour;_ she took another sip of sake and tried to relax before she had to complete the task given to her by the manager

The fox woman spotted Naru entering into the open bath area. She slightly opened up her eyes to get a better look. "Hey Naru!" Kitsune called out.

The auburn haired girl looked over to Kitsune's direction. "Kitsune where is everybody?" she asked as she headed in her direction.

"Beats me," Kitsune answered. "Motoko took Shinobu back to her room and then she mumbled something about having to meditate." Kitsune took another sip of her sake.

"I thought the manager said that there was no more alcohol allowed in the dorm," Naru playfully taunted.

"He also said that there can't be any minors allowed when **'adults'** are bathing. I think it's time for you to leave little girl," Kitsune teased back.

Naru rolled her eyes at Kitsune, but she did feel slightly worried about getting caught by the manager.

Kitsune caught on to Naru's anxiety. "Don't worry, I saw him rush out the door earlier. He seemed to be in a real hurry, like he was going to be late for something."

"So he's not here," Naru said deep in thought.

"He left about an hour ago," Kitsune added.

_This might be the opportunity I've been waiting for,_ thought Naru.

"Hey Naru!" yelled Kitsune snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I need to finish studying," Naru quickly stated. She was about to leave when she remembered something. "By the way Kitsune, your breasts have gotten bigger since the last time I saw them."

"I knew it! You've been hot on girls all along!" Kitsune accused in a mocking tone. "Now if you were a hot guy then it would be a different story."

Naru laughed and went back inside the dorm.

**-------------------------------**

"Next!"

Mutsumi approached the desk.

"Name?" asked the secretary.

"Otohime, Mutsumi," Mutsumi cheerfully replied.

The secretary inputted it into the computer. "Student ID number?" she asked.

"I forgot it," Mutsumi replied with an embarrassed smile.

The woman let out a sigh. I can't get you into the system without that number."

"Isn't there some way? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

"Okay, okay I'll help you. Just calm down," said the woman. "I need something to go off of. Do you remember anything that might help?"

"I think the first number was an 8," Mutsumi guessed.

"That's a start. Do you remember anything else?"

Mutsumi shook her head with a dejected look.

"That's all right. I'll just keep inputting in the other digits until I get a match with your name. This may take a while."

_Is she serious!_ thought Keitaro.

Mutsumi was ecstatic. "Oh thankyouthankyou thankyouthankyou…"

"Ma'am please settle down," said the woman.

"Ara, sorry" said Mutsumi. She became silent. All that could be heard was the clacking of the keyboard as the secretary tried to find the right combination of numbers.

30 Minutes Later:

Keitaro was far over the limits of his patience. _THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!_ He was about to explode when…

"I'm in!" exclaimed the secretary. "Now I just need to print out your exam ticket." She clicked the mouse and the printer came to life.

"Isn't this exciting?" Mutsumi asked Keitaro.

Keitaro glared at her. "Not really," he said in an uninterested tone.

"Here is your ticket ma'am," the woman said handing the ticket over to Mutsumi. "Make sure you don't lose it."

"Thank you," Mutsumi said as she took ticket and left the room.

"Next!" called the secretary.

Keitaro quickly went up to the desk. "Urashima, Keitaro Student Number: 93752" _The same number I've been using for the past two years._

"I'm sorry sir but you're late," the secretary stated.

"What?"

"The registration deadline was 3:00 and as you can see the time is 3:03. I'm going to have to charge you a fee for late registration."

"That's bullshit, the reason I'm over the deadline is because you were to busy helping that ditz!" anger was starting to surge through him.

"I'm sorry you feel that way sir but I can't break the rules," said the secretary.

"I don't think it was part of the rules to waste half an hour trying to find out someone's ID number. As a matter of fact what you did was illegal. I should report this to your superiors."

"But sir…"

"I also have a witness. I'm sure that young woman that you just helped will be more than willing to tell them about your generosity."

"Please don't tell my boss, she's been trying to fire me for months," pleaded the secretary.

"Then I strongly suggest that you cancel the late registration fee," Keitaro said with a deadly voice.

The woman nodded and inputted his information into the system. The printer once again sprung to life and printed out the exam ticket. She quickly handed it to him. "Have a nice day sir," she said. "I hope we can forget about the mishap earlier."

Keitaro didn't answer. _Maybe I should tell her boss just for the hell of it,_ he thought as he walked out of the registration room. And who should he bump into but the same woman as earlier. Mutsumi fell to the ground in a dead faint.

_Not again!_ He knelt down snapped his fingers in front of her face. No luck. _She's not breathing,_ he thought apprehensively.

Just then Mutsumi propped up as if nothing had happened. "There you are."

Keitaro gave her a frantic look. But he immediately suppressed it.

"Don't get scared. I'm anemic so I'm prone to fainting spells," she explained.

"You call not having a pulse fainting? Anyways why are you still here?"

"I was waiting for you silly," Mutsumi replied. She inched close to Keitaro's face and removed his glasses. "You have such a cute face. What are you? In middle school?"

Keitaro snatched the glasses out of her hands. "I'm almost twenty years old! Why the hell would I be here if I was in middle school?"

"Now, now, that's no way to talk to your big sister," said Mutsumi.

Keitaro gave her a questioning look.

"I may not look it but I'm 21 years old," Mutsumi explained. "And if you're about to turn twenty then that means that you must be a ronin!"

"I am a second year ronin," Keitaro replied. They walked through the hallway.

"Ara you're just like me. We're both going to be taking the test for the third time," said Mutsumi.

"In that respect we do have something in common," he said.

"So the only reason that you've been trying to get into Tokyo U is to claim your inheritance?" Mutsumi asked.

"Basically," Keitaro answered. "What about you? There must be a reason for why you're so dead set to get into Tokyo U."

"I really like the university," Mutsumi evasively replied. It was obvious that she wasn't telling the truth. Keitaro could tell that she was hiding something but he didn't press the issue.

Keitaro opened the door at the end of the hallway and the two of them walked out into the outside world. The sun was still out and there was a cool breeze blowing about.

"I have to go to the train station to catch a train back to Hinata City," Keitaro said thinking that this was where they would part ways.

"I'll come with you. I also need to take a train back to the apartment that I'm staying at," said Mutsumi.

The two of them walked through crowded streets of Tokyo. _Man this city is so big, _Keitaro imagined what living in Tokyo would be like. It was a long walk to the station and getting through the crowds was a real hassle. Eventually the crowds thinned out and the sidewalk became more open.

"Ara, a print club booth," Mutsumi exclaimed. "I love these."

Old habits died hard in this case. "I'm quite fond of these as well," Keitaro was actually excited. It had been a long time since he had gotten a new frame. It had been a long time since he had gotten a new frame. "You know, I managed to find a 'Gamera 3',"

"Really? I'm so jealous," Just then Mutsumi had an idea. "Come take a picture with me," she said grabbing his hand.

"Huh? Wait a minute!" Keitaro was caught off guard by the ever spontaneous Mutsumi. _She's touching me,_ he thought. Keitaro tried to pull his hand away but Mutsumi had a surprisingly strong grip.

Once they were in the booth Mutsumi deposited the coins and started scrolling for a frame. "Oh look, this one has cute little watermelons in it," she said as she selected the frame.

Mutsumi put her hand on Keitaro's shoulder. _She's touching me again._

"Smile Urashima-kun," she put up a victory sign and stuck out her tongue at the camera.

Keitaro couldn't help but smirk at Mutsumi's antics. The camera gave a flash and there was a buzzing sound as it printed out two stickers. They exited the photo booth.

"One for you and one for me," Mutsumi handed him one of the stickers.

"Thanks," Keitaro examined the sticker. It had a green border with little watermelons in each corner. In the middle was Mutsumi with her silly pose but what surprised him the most was when he looked at himself. In the picture he was looking towards Mutsumi with a smile, but barely though. It was more like a small grin. _With her hand on my shoulder, we almost look like we're…_ Keitaro shook off the thought and tucked the photo sticker into his pocket.

Mutsumi pulled out her sticker album and placed the photo sticker onto one of the pages. "The newest addition to my collection," she declared.

"Would you like to see my album?" she asked.

Keitaro nodded and began flipping through the pages of her album. "You're all alone in these pictures." _Just like me._

"Oh well, people usually lose patience with me. I always end up having to take pictures by myself," Mutsumi giggled but it seemed forced. "You're the first person to take a picture with me. Thank you Urashima-kun."

Keitaro did not answer. He began walking towards the train station. Mutsumi hurried to catch up with him.

"Do you have a picture album Urashima-kun?" she asked.

"Yes I do, but I didn't bring it with me," Keitaro responded.

"I would love to see it sometime," said Mutsumi.

They had finally arrived at the train station. Both of them purchased their respective tickets and headed to the terminal to wait for the train.

"Train number 409 to Hinata City will be arriving in five minutes," said a voice over the loudspeaker.

"That's my train," Keitaro said getting ready to depart.

"Before you go there is something I want to give you," Mutsumi said. She handed him a watermelon. "It's a gift."

_Where the hell has she been carrying that?_ Keitaro wondered but nevertheless he accepted her gift.

Mutsumi being the touchy-feely person that she was, leaned over to kiss her new friend Keitaro. _His skin feels so cold and hard,_ she thought in disdain. Just then she heard a subtle laugh. She opened her eyes and realized that her lips were pressed against a watermelon.

"Ara?" she backed up in surprise.

Keitaro had managed to prevent Mutsumi from kissing him by holding the watermelon in front of his face. The sight of Mutsumi in a lip lock with the giant fruit was hilarious. Keitaro couldn't suppress his laughter. "If you like your gift so much maybe I should give it back to you," he said in an amused tone. His expression turned serious. "You really shouldn't try to push yourself onto someone like that."

Mutsumi gave an embarrassed laugh. "You're right. Kissing people is a bad habit of mine."

"Train number 409 to Hinata City is now boarding," the voice over the intercom stated.

The train had arrived at the terminal and had opened its doors for incoming passengers. Keitaro walked into the train. "Good bye Otohime-san," he bade her farewell.

Mutsumi was standing right outside the door. It looked like she was trying to get herself to say something but couldn't. Finally she spoke out.

"When I told that I was trying to get into Tokyo U was because I like the university, I lied. The real reason that I'm trying to get in is because of a promise that I made a long time ago to this boy I liked. The promise was that we would meet each other again at Tokyo U. I didn't want to tell you earlier because I was afraid that you might think it was silly to of me hold on to such a dream," Mutsumi looked at the ground blushing. "Good bye Urashima-kun." She backed away as the doors slid closed.

The young man's heart jolted at what Mutsumi had just said. _Wait!_ He stuck his hand out but pulled back before just the doors shut. There was no way he could reach Mutsumi now.

Keitaro watched her through the window as the train pulled away from the terminal. She smiled and waved to him. Keitaro continued to watch her form until it was out of sight. _Could you be? Are you…her?_

**-------------------------------**

Naru was staring at the Liddo-kun doll in her room. Or more accurately, she was staring at board which it lay upon. The board covered a hole that connected her room to the one below her. _Should I do it?_ She inched closer to the doll and moved it aside. _It's now or never,_ Naru moved the board to the side and gazed down into Keitaro's room. The room was pretty tidy aside from an open suitcase lying in the middle of the room. Naru positioned herself on top of the hole and as quietly as could and she jumped down into the manager's room. Her landing was none to great but she quickly gathered herself.

**-------------------------------**

"I can't believe that your nephew made me get rid of my stash," Kitsune complained as she placed her sake bottles in the cabinets.

"Look on the bright side, now you'll finally be able to finish those novels that you're always talking about," said Haruka.

Kitsune had taken her sake bottles to Haruka's tea shop where she wanted to keep them for safe keeping.

"But I can't bet on the right horses without my sake," Kitsune whined.

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro was trekking up the steps of Hinata Sou. This was made considerably more difficult due to the watermelon that he was carrying. He looked over to the café. _I think I'll grab a snack before I head up to the dorm;_ he thought and changed his direction to the tea shop.

**-------------------------------**

_At least I still have my secret stash,_ Kitsune reassured herself. She heard the bells of the door as it opened. The fox woman looked over just in time to catch sight of Keitaro entering.

"Hey Haruka, I have to go to the bathroom,"

"It's in the back to the right," Haruka instructed.

"Thanks," Kitsune went to the back towards the bathroom and quickly doubled back. She quickly hid behind the shelves and tried to listen in.

"Haruka," Keitaro called out and went up to the front counter. "Here you can serve this as a special tomorrow," he said placing the watermelon on the counter.

"Where'd you disappear to in the afternoon?" Haruka asked picking up the watermelon and putting it to the side.

"I had to head down to Tokyo U to register for the mock exams," Keitaro said.

"You still set on turning this place back into a hotel?" Haruka inquired.

"As soon as I pass the entrance exam and get my inheritance, those females are out of here. In fact I'm even considering turning it into an all boys dormitory," said Keitaro.

"Slow down there cowboy, you have to pass the entrance exams before Granny Hina hands Hinata Sou over to you," said Haruka.

"It's as good as done," Keitaro stated with confidence.

_He's planning on kicking us out!_ Kitsune had listened to the whole conversation. She wasn't surprised that Keitaro wanted them evicted but she had never suspected that he would actually come to **own** Hinata Sou. _I need to tell the others about this,_ she thought but she didn't dare move yet.

"By the way Haruka, have you ever heard of someone named Otohime, Mutsumi?"

**-------------------------------**

Naru examined her surroundings. There was a small sofa in the corner and a futon was neatly rolled up against the wall. It was rather plain and room but that was because Keitaro had just moved in. She scanned left and right until she caught sight of his backpack.

_Jackpot!_

The auburn haired girl zipped it open and began rummaging through its contents. _There has to be something here that I can use against him._ All she found were various exam test booklets, workbooks and textbooks. Naru didn't think much of them and tossed them to the side.

_Why am I not finding anything? I should've have brought Kitsune along for help._ She pulled out another book. _Wait a minute I recognize this! It's the same book I've been using to study for the Mock Exams. Is he trying to get into Tokyo U?_

**-------------------------------**


	7. Confronation With The Pervert

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 6: Confrontation With The Pervert**

"Otohime? The name rings a bell," said Haruka. "There was a lady by that last name that visited here a long time ago. I'd say about fifteen years ago."

_Fifteen years…that's about the time when I made the promise._ "Did the lady have a daughter?" Keitaro asked.

"I don't recall. The lady was a friend of Granny Hina. She stayed here for a couple of months upon Granny Hina's request and then left rather abruptly," Haruka said trying to remember the details. "Her name is at the tip of my tongue…I lost it."

_I'm not going to waste my time on this anymore._ "Don't worry about it." said Keitaro. "You got something I can eat?"

Haruka went to the pantry and pulled out a pastry. "Chew on this for a while," she said tossing it to him.

Keitaro bit into it. "This is pretty tasty,"

"Like it? It's one of Granny's recipes."

"She always did make the best sweets. I think father inherited his skills from her," said Keitaro.

"Granny taught him everything she knew," said Haruka. "He was her apprentice in the culinary arts and I was her apprentice in the martial arts."

_Granny sure did have a lot of talents,_ thought Keitaro. "Say Haruka, why do you always call her Granny? I know she's old but she's still your mother."

"That would be your fault. Every time you came to visit it was 'Granny this and Granny that'. Eventually I started calling her Granny as well. But only around you," Haruka shuddered at the thought of what her mother would do if she ever called her that to her face. If there was one person that was touchier about their age than Haruka, it was Hina. It was the reason she had gone on that globetrotting tour of hot springs around the world. To prove that she still had youth and vigor.

"It wouldn't be very smart to say that to her face," Keitaro said thinking along the same lines as Haruka. He popped the rest of the pastry into his mouth. "I need to start up on studying again." He stood up to leave. "Don't bother looking into the files to find out that woman's name. It's not important anymore."

"Good luck with the studying," Haruka said to Keitaro's retreating form. _What was that woman's name?_ For the life of her she couldn't remember. Keitaro may not have seemed to care but it had piqued Haruka's curiosity. She would have to look into it.

Kitsune was still standing behind the shelf. She didn't move a muscle until she was sure that Keitaro was gone. She leaned over slightly take a peek. The coast was clear. Kitsune regained her composure and stepped out from behind the shelf. "Hey Haruka I'm back from the bathroom," she said attempting to appear calm.

"You were sure gone a long time," Haruka commented.

"Feminine needs," Kitsune replied slyly.

Haruka stifled the urge to groan at her antics. "Excuse me ma'am," called out one of the customers. Haruka went over to tend to the patron.

Kitsune looked back to her sake stash, half of which was placed on the shelf. "Time for a quick break," she said opening one of the bottles and taking a big gulp.

**-------------------------------**

Naru stared at the Tokyo U prep book. She opened it up and scanned through the pages. Each page had red slashes through almost every problem. _These scores are atrocious! What makes him think that he'll get in with work like this?_

Naru tossed the book aside. Only one item remained in the backpack. She pulled out the green album. There was a buckle on the side that securely fastened the folder shut. Naru unfastened the buckle and opened up the album. Inside she found countless photo stickers of Keitaro on every page.

_He looks so different in these pictures. It's almost like he's another person. What's with those big dorky glasses?_

Naru leaned in to examine the photos more closely. _He's actually smiling; it makes him look kind of cute._ She turned the page when something struck to her as odd. She flipped through the pages and found the same thing on every page. _Why isn't there anyone else with him in any of the pictures?_

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro entered through the lobby and made his way into the common room.

"Hello Manager-san," Shinobu greeted from the stairs.

"Good to see that you're feeling better," Keitaro responded.

"I'm going to get dinner started," Shinobu wobbled a bit but grabbed onto the rail to keep her balance. She still hadn't completely recovered from what had happened earlier.

"Maehara-san, you are in no condition to work. I want to you get as much rest as possible," said Keitaro.

"But the others won't have anything to eat…" Shinobu trailed off.

_Always putting other people's needs above your own. Reminds me of someone that died a little while back._ "Not to worry. Dinner will be at Haruka's café. Her treat of course," said Keitaro.

Shinobu reached the bottom of the stairs. "Are you sure she won't mind?"

"Of course not," Keitaro replied waving it off. But then his tone turned serious. "I appreciate you jumping in to help me earlier, but you shouldn't attempt to do something so dangerous. Trust me I've been through a lot worse, so I can handle myself. You could've been seriously injured."

"I'm sorry," Shinobu said with her head drooping.

"Don't be,"

Shinobu's head snapped up. "Huh?"

"You had your reasons for doing what you did. You shouldn't have to apologize for it." He walked passed her and started ascending up the stairs. _She's a sweet kid. I'll arrange it to have her stay with Haruka once I bring Hinata Sou back to its former glory as the famous Hinata Inn. Or better yet Hinata Sou: all male dormitory._

Shinobu pondered on Keitaro's words until someone popped up behind her.

"Shinobu when's dinner? I'm starving!" Su was glad to see that Shinobu was feeling better. All that worrying had made her extremely hungry.

"We're going to eat at Haruka's," Shinobu answered.

"Well then what are you standing around here for, lets go!" Su announced. She hoisted Shinobu over her shoulder.

"Wait Su!" Shinobu yelled as the foreign girl sped off with her.

**-------------------------------**

Shinobu's voice traveled upstairs past Keitaro, through his room and into Naru's ears. She panicked at the loud noise and ventured on leaving the room right away. Dropping the sticker album she quickly grabbed the books and stuffed them into his backpack. After zipping it up tight she hurried forward until she was positioned directly under the hole.

_Oh God, please let me make this!_ She bent her knees and with all the strength she could gather, she jumped as high as she could. Her hands gripped the outside edges of the opening. Using all of the power in her arms she barely managed to get her upper body through the gap and into her room. Her legs were still dangling in the room below. She flailed her legs frantically, trying to use the momentum to push herself back up into the safety of her bedroom.

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro reached the front of his door and slid it open. Much to his surprise he saw a pair of legs hanging from the ceiling and flailing as if there was no tomorrow. He recognized who it was immediately.

"Narusegawa, what are you doing in my room?"

**-------------------------------**

Total silence filled the room…

….

….

….

…as the young samurai contemplated under deep meditation. The scent of burning incense wafted through the air adding to the tranquil mood.

_He considers my sword to be a weapon. My sword is not a weapon, it is a tool to bring justice. "When you meet a swordsman, draw your sword: Do not recite poetry to one who is not a poet."_ It was a famous saying that she had heard during her years as a student at the Gods Cry School and she centered her beliefs around it. _In today's world, the sword no longer holds the honor and importance it once held. Weak men in business suits run the country through greed and immorality. They use their so called words to trick and deceive others into doing their bidding. Once I become the head of our school I will bring back the power that the sword and the noble samurai held._ Motoko let out a nervous breath._ But I still need more time to prepare before I can go back._ She shifted her thoughts back to Keitaro._ He's just like them. Coming in with a suit and taking control. It's what all men want. Control…total control. He is a fool to think that my sword is a lethal weapon. Anything can be used as a weapon. A piece of string can be wrapped around the neck and choke him to death. A pencil could gouge his eyes…_

Motoko's eyes opened as she snapped out of her meditative trance. _Why are such morbid thoughts going through my head?_

**-------------------------------**

Naru froze at the sound of Keitaro's voice. Her hands lost their grip and she fell back down into the room below.

Keitaro watched with a neutral expression as she plummeted towards the floor and made no attempt to break her fall.

She landed on her back when she hit the floor. Her head made contact with the ground an instant later. Naru sat upright, rubbing the back of her head. It had happened so fast that she didn't even get a chance to react, let alone scream. Though a bit dazed, reality began to sink in. Arching her head to the side she found Keitaro standing in the open doorway. He was looking at the ground. She couldn't see his eyes due to the shade of his hair covering them.

"Even a person like you… I never thought would stoop so low…," His words were coming out mangled. Trying to get his emotions under control he tried speaking again. "Don't you think that creeping into someone else's room and violating their privacy is the lowest of the low?" he whispered hoarsely.

Frightened beyond belief Naru started babbling. "Wait it's not what you think!...What happened was…well you see…," she tried fishing for an excuse. "I accidentally fell through the hole and…"

"Stop lying," Keitaro lifted his head. His eyes fixated on Naru with a knife-like glare. His gaze shifted to green book that had been tossed behind the backpack. Naru's eyes followed his. _Oh crap! I can't believe I forgot…._

"Not only did you go through my things without permission, you threw them aside without any heed" his looked back to Naru. "And to top it off, you **lie** about it. You're a despicable **pervert**."

Naru didn't know what to do. He had flung her lie back at her. She had heard everything he said but one word in particular had caught her attention. "I am **not** a pervert!" she argued.

"Do you even know what a pervert is!" He looked at Naru disgustedly. "You spit the word around like it's nothing and yet you don't even realize what it means. What you did is one of single most **perverted** acts I've ever seen. What you did was **perverse**. **You** are a **pervert!**" Ironically, the angrier he got the clearer it became for him to think. His rage had lifted the fog off of his normally clouded mind. It helped him focus.

The quote 'pervert's' mind was reeling. She did not grasp what he was talking about.

Keitaro decided to enlighten her. "Pervert: One: To turn away from the right course of action. Two: To lead astray morally. Three: To lead into mental error of false judgment. Four: To turn to an improper use; misapply. And finally the fifth and last definition: A person who practices sexual perversion. The one you love to use. Notice how it's the **last** definition of the word."

There was no way to get out of this predicament. She had been caught red handed, not to mention having lied to his face. The guilt of what she had done was starting to rise up. She had violated Keitaro in the worst way possible.

"When you do something perverted, you do something that is morally corrupt and wrong. You Narusegawa, are the dictionary definition of a pervert," he stated. "You truly are the **lowest** of the low."

"I…," Naru could not find the right words. The enormity of what she had done dawned to her. She realized that she could be evicted right then and there. _I can't believe I did this. I shouldn't have…_ "I'm…," she choked. "I'm sorry," she finally said. Tears began sliding down her cheek.

"Don't you dare. You have the gall to shed tears after what you did? You have **no** right to cry after what you have just done. **You **violated **me!**"

"I know," Naru replied. "I'm sorry."

"You're only sorry because you got caught. You wouldn't have thought twice about it if I hadn't walked in on you."

"I'm sorry," Naru repeated.

"Get out," Keitaro whispered shakily. His voice was full of hurt.

"I'm sorry," Naru repeated again.

"I SAID GET OUT!" he yelled.

Not being able to take the humiliation and guilt any longer, Naru ran past Keitaro and out of his room.

The manager let out an exhausted sigh and slid his door shut. _Strike one;_ he lifted up his index finger.

**-------------------------------**

Tears blurred her vision as she ran up the stairs. Once she was safely in her room with her door closed, she wiped her eyes with her sleeves. Naru caught sight of the uncovered hole. Acting quickly, she grabbed the floor board and briefly got a glimpse of Keitaro walking over to his backpack before she slammed the board over the opening.

Her plan had completely backfired and he wouldn't even accept her apology. _I said I was sorry!_ _I know what I did was wrong._ She recalled the events. _He called me a pervert._ The word stuck in her head. She had never thought about it that way. Being labeled a pervert had been humiliating and degrading. The girl was no stranger to branding perverts but being called one herself made her feel embarrassed and disgraced.

Keitaro had given her a taste of her own medicine and it was bitter. A voice spoke up in her thoughts. _What right do you have to call someone else a pervert when you now know that you are nothing more than a pervert yourself?_ She was unable to come up with an argument to that question. Realization set in and Naru snatched the Liddo-kun doll and clutched it tightly for comfort. She was no better than any of the other 'perverts' she had encountered. Only two words could describe the recent.

Total humiliation.

Now the fear of retaliation from Keitaro began to set in. _I hope I don't get evicted. He didn't say anything about it earlier but still. If I get kicked out I'll have to move back home._ She squeezed the doll tighter.

_I didn't mean any harm. I just wanted too…scout around for some information._ Naru had succeeded in uncovering some information about him. _He was alone in his album pictures. Doesn't he have any friends? And why does he have all those Tokyo U prep books? He looks like he should at least be a sophomore in college. With scores as bad as his he must be a…_Naru's head shot up at her understanding. _…ronin._

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro examined his room to see what else Naru had rummaged through. Nothing else was out of place except for his backpack and his sticker album which lay face open and face down to the ground. He slowly strode over to it and was about to pick it up when he heard a loud crashing sound from the ceiling. Keitaro looked up to find the hole in the wall covered by a wooden board. _Why didn't I notice that hole earlier? Someone's going to have to fix that._

He picked up his album as he sat down on the floor and opened up to the first page. His confrontation with Naru was pushed out of his mind as he felt himself being flooded with memories. Each picture held its own significance.

_That's not me in those pictures,_ he thought as he stared at his smiling faces in the photos.

He felt repulsed by how happy and carefree he looked in the pictures when he had been carrying so much pain and sadness. Try as he might, Keitaro could not bring himself to get rid of his album. It carried the past of his old self and memories that he could not bring himself to forget. Taking pictures in the booth had been one of the few times that he had actually indulged himself. His passion for it was something that he felt truly belonged to him and he still enjoyed it.

_I guess some things never change,_ he thought turning the page. Shirai and Haitani had never really been into photo stickers so it was something that he had pursued on his own as a hobby. _It's been so long since I added a picture._

_I would love to see it sometime,_ Mutsumi's voice echoed through his mind.

_I almost forgot about that!_ Keitaro reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo sticker. Keitaro felt that giddy feeling he always used to get when he would get a new sticker. He flipped through his photo album until he found an empty page. With the utmost care he took the sticker and placed it on the center of the sheet. He took his thumb and gently pressed down on it to make it stick. _Perfect,_ he thought removing his thumb. His eyes fixated on Mutsumi in the picture. She was the first person he had met that shared his enthusiasm for photo booths.

_Her hair, those two strands in the front look like antennas. They look so cu…_ Keitaro's stopped when he realized what the next word would be, but he couldn't think of any other word that would describe it. He swiftly shut the album shut and snapped the buckle.

The young man sat closed his eyes and sat contently for a few minutes trying to shake off his last thought. But by doing so the short time of solace he had received from looking through his old pictures disappeared and the events from earlier came pouring back. Naru. In his room. Going through his stuff. Tossing his things to the side without a care.

Suddenly he drew in a sharp breathe and threw the album as hard as he could. It flew across the room and burst open when it hit the wall. His fury was back in full force. _That perverted freak! I let her off way to easy._ He got a mental picture of Naru looking through his photo album. _That was my most personal possession!_ _Is nothing sacred anymore?_ Over and over he kept picturing Naru going through the album. _That __**woman**__ is going to pay dearly for this._ _But I'll wait. I have more important things to do right now._

He pulled out a textbook from his backpack and laid it open on his lap. _No screwing around this year. I told Haruka that I was going to study and that's what I'm going to do. I'll be damned if I mess up again._ His used the anger that he felt and channeled it to help him focus. For the next hour, the only sound that could be heard in the room was a pencil scribbling on paper. It was the longest he had gone without stopping to take a break.

**-------------------------------**

"I told you to wait Su," said Shinobu. Haruka had sent them back up to the dorm. "It's only five o'clock. Dinner won't be for another couple of hours."

"But I'm hungry now!" Su whined.

RIIINNNNGGGG!

"I'll get it!" Su ran up to the phone. She grabbed the receiver and pulled it to her ear. "This is Kaolla Su, genius inventor extraordinaire. You think it, I build it."

"Su!" Shinobu hissed.

"Huh? Who's Keitaro?" Su asked. She listened for a bit. "Oh, you mean that new manager guy. Let me go get him." The foreign girl jumped up and ran up the stairs. "Phone call! Phone call!" she ran up to the Keitaro's door. "Hey Manager! There's a phone call for you!" Without waiting for him to answer she continued. "Hey are you in there? Helllooooooo?"

The door slides open to reveal a slightly annoyed manager. "Calm down Kaolla-san. Now tell me what's wrong."

"There's a phone call for you. It's…er…I forgot their names.

He stepped out of the room and slid the door closed. _Nobody knows that I'm here except for father, Haruka and probably Granny. Who else could it be?_ He quickly followed Su down the stairs and rushed over to the phone. Su went over to where Shinobu was standing and they both watched expectantly as he put the receiver up to his ear. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"Whoa relax buddy, it's just me," said the voice.

"Shirai?" Keitaro was baffled. "How'd you find out I was here? Is Haitani there with you?"

"Yeah Haitani's with me. He says hi. We tried calling your house but your mother kept saying that you never lived there. Finally we went over to your house to see what was up. Luckily your father answered the door and told us that you had left home. He gave told us how to reach you and gave us this number. So what happened? Why'd you move without telling us?"

"It's a long story," said Keitaro. It felt good to hear a familiar voice. He considered telling him, but decided against it. Shinobu and Su were still standing a couple of feet behind him. He didn't trust that they wouldn't try to eavesdrop if he asked them to leave the room. "I'll tell you later. How about we meet up somewhere?"

There was a faint pause and a new voice spoke through the receiver. "Why don't we meet at you new place? By the way who was the girl that answered the phone and why did she call you the manager?" Haitani questioned.

"Like I said I'll tell you later. Coming over here isn't really a good idea." He glanced to the side to find the two young girls still watching him.

"Listen, I'll call you guys back and we'll discuss the details," he suggested.

"Don't forget about us this time!" said Haitani.

"Don't worry I won't. All right. Later." He hung up the phone and turned over to Hinata Sou's youngest residents.

"Next time I get a phone call could you give me a little privacy?" he asked severely irritated.

Shinobu blushed a deep shade of crimson. "Oh I-I-I didn't even realize that I was… sorry Manager-san."

"What's privacy? Is it good to eat?" asked Su.

Keitaro raised an eyebrow. _What the hell? Is she for real?_

"Hey do you want to play with me?" Su asked. "Let's play hide and seek. It'll be fun. We can play in my room, there's lots of hiding places there."

"No, I'd rather not," replied Keitaro.

"Come on it'll be fun. We can climb trees and swim in the river if you don't want to play hide and seek," Su persisted.

"In your room?" Keitaro inquired sarcastically.

"Of course. My room's a forest," she said as if it was obvious.

Keitaro was not amused. He locked his dark brown eyes with Su's emerald green ones. Su stared back at him, unfazed by his sharp glare. However she looked away after a few moments. Normally the foreign girl wasn't bothered by these types of situations but his eyes made her feel uncomfortable.

Shinobu spoke up. "It's the truth Manager-san. Su's room really is a forest. I don't know how she did it but her room is a miniature forest with trees and animals and everything."

The young man was still not convinced, but he hadn't found Shinobu to be a liar. "Show me," was all he said.

Su perked up at this. "Follow me then," she said walking away. Keitaro follow after her with Shinobu trailing closely behind. No one said anything on the way. When they reached their destination Su paused in front of the door. "Ladies and gentleman or should I just say gentlemen since Shinobu has already seen my room. Anyways prepare to be amazed!" She slid the door open. "Ta dah!"

What Keitaro saw almost made his jaw drop in disbelief. Lush palm trees towered up to the ceiling with bunches of bananas dangling from the branches. Grass was growing where the wooden floor should have been. A stream ran through with fish of all different sizes and colors swimming about. There were gigantic wild flowers that looked like they would spring to life at any moment. The room was practically a miniature rain forest except for the fact that there weren't any animals besides the fish inhabiting it.

"See I told ya," Su said with a grin. "Don't be shy, come on in. You too Shinobu."

Shinobu went inside first. "Come on Manager-san," she beckoned.

He walked into the room which would better be described as a jungle. _There's an entire ecosystem in here. This is…simply amazing,_ he thought with awe. "How did you accomplish this?" he asked.

"Well it wasn't easy. I had to bring the seeds from my homeland and sped up their rate of growth…" she went into a deep and detailed explanation of how she created the tropical atmosphere indoors. "…so after I managed to do that, well you can what the end result was. It took me a couple of months but it was worth it. It keeps me from getting homesick."

While Shinobu had gotten lost after the first sentence, Keitaro had listened with rapt fascination. _So much intelligence in one so young. She was born a genius. She was born with natural talent,_ Keitaro thought with a hint of envy; he couldn't help but admire the girl for her brilliant work that he was standing in. _Her profile had said that she carried high intelligence but I grossly underestimated how high it would be._ _Is this the same girl that just a little while ago asked me if 'privacy' was good to eat?_ He was annoyed with himself for his miscalculation but there was something else that kept bothering him. "Why do you still attend middle school? With you're intellect, you could easily get into the best colleges in the world."

"I guess I could, but then I wouldn't have time for any fun," she replied as if it was the most logical reason in the world.

_She could do so much. She could change the world. _Keitaro was sorely disappointed by her answer. _She may possess great intellect but her way of thinking is still immature._ He smiled sadly at the dark skinned girl. _It's not fair. Being born with a gift and not even using it. She could be the best._ _All that talent and no ambition._ He let out sigh. _I could try forever yet I would never reach her level of genius. Talent is always wasted on those who don't know how to use it,_ he thought. However he had developed a new found respect for the young girl.

Su looked back at him with other thoughts on her mind. _Now is a great chance for me to test out my mini missile assault gun. With his abnormal physique, he should make a good test subject._ Although it was tempting, she decided against it. Shinobu was in the room as well and she didn't want to risk her getting hit, especially in her weakened state.

Speaking of the blue haired girl, Shinobu felt a little jealous and left out. "I think it's going to be time for dinner soon," she said trying to change the subject.

_She's probably right. I need to head down to Haruka's._ "Would the both of you round up the rest of the tenants and bring them to the café? I'll meet you there," he said walking away.

"Why did you try to evict Motoko?" Su asked in a serious tone.

The manager turned around and looked at her. "Kaolla-san, you are a smart girl. If you haven't figured it out by now, then maybe I gave you too much credit. I hope that's not the case." He turned back around and walked out the door. _Her skills might be valuable in the future. I can use that to my advantage._

Su stared at Keitaro's back until he was out of sight. "Well Shinobu, I don't know about you but I'm starving. The faster we can get the others, the faster I can eat."

Shinobu nodded and went on after her.

**-------------------------------**

The bells jingled when Keitaro opened the door to the café. Haruka spotted him who walked up to him with an annoyed expression. "What's this talk I hear about dinner being over here?"

"Haruka be reasonable. Maehara was injured. Are you actually considering having her cook in her current condition?" Keitaro asked in a mock tone.

The older woman knew she was trapped. He was using the old sympathy card. "I'll get the food. But next time you're going to have to cook for them. It's the manager's duty to look after the tenants." She walked off muttering "I swear that boy is bad for business."

Haruka brought out the dishes and laid them on the table. Keitaro helped her out in setting the plates. A short while later the bells on the door jingled and the residents of Hinata Sou came in.

"Finally! I'm dying of hunger," Su ran up to the table and seated herself. "Hurry up! Come on!" she beckoned to the others. Naru hadn't said a word the whole time and sat down wordlessly next to Su. Kitsune who was rather hungry herself followed in suit. Shinobu went around to the other said and sat across from her. Motoko glanced at Keitaro, who was sitting in the table on the far corner of the restaurant, before she took her seat.

Haruka approached the girls. "Dinner's on me tonight so dig in, and don't be afraid to ask for seconds."

They all thanked Haruka and started eating. The food was delicious. _This is almost as good as Shinobu's cooking,_ Kitsune thought with surprise. _I didn't know that Haruka was such as good cook. Maybe she hires someone to do it._

A was a slight dinner conversation emanated from their table.

Haruka went over to sit with Keitaro who was already finished. "I've got some work I need to take care of," he explained as he hastily got up.

Though none of the girls tried to acknowledge it, all of their eyes followed the manager as he made his way past them and out into the open night air.

"Naru what's wrong?" Kitsune inquired. "You've haven't said a word."

"It's nothing. I'm just a bit stressed from studying," Naru replied evasively. She took another bite to avoid any further conversation.

Motoko finished her plate and went over to the café owner. "Haruka-san, where did you put my sword?"

"It's in the back. Go get it if you want but I don't want to see it in here with you. This is a professional establishment," Haruka answered sternly.

"That's okay; I'll come for it tomorrow morning. I just wanted to know where it was," she went back to the other table. After some time Su finally decided that she was full and they helped clear the table before leaving the shop.

"The air feels nice," Shinobu commented as the girls ascended up the long stairway. "You can say that again," Kitsune said in agreement.

The five came within range of the entrance to discover their manager standing in front of the doors to the lobby.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" he asked.

"It was good,"

"Not bad,"

"I want more,"

"It was very delicious,"

He nodded at their responses. "Before you I let you enter there is a matter I would like to discuss. It seems that that some of you lack values and ethics. You think that it's okay to take advantage of other people. The ones I am talking about know who they are."

Kitsune knew that he was referring to her and Motoko. She was unaware that he was referring to Naru as well.

"However there is one person that redefined despicable behavior," he fixed his gaze on Naru. "Narusegawa tell the others what you did today."

All eyes were on her now. Naru's throat went dry. If she didn't say anything then he would probably call her out anyway. Maybe confessing herself would show him that she was willing to take responsibility for what she did. "I snuck into his room without permission and went through his personal belongings." The humiliation was getting to her and her legs were itching to sprint off far away from where she was.

The other tenants couldn't believe their ears.

Shinobu gasped. "How could you?"

"You got caught?" Kitsune asked incredulously.

"That wasn't really smart Naru, you should have thought it over," Su said offering her insight.

"Naru-sempai, is he lying?" Motoko didn't want to believe it.

"I did it," Naru replied staring at the ground.

Silence followed. Nobody knew what to say.

"The way I see it there are only two options. Option one is that Narusegawa gets evicted and is never allowed back on these grounds or option two, she receives a strike. I'll leave the decision to you. Raise your hands if you want option one."

Nobody raised there hands.

"Option two?"

Four hands rose up in the air.

"It's unanimous then, Narusegawa will be given one strike."

Naru let out a sigh of relief. She was off the hook. One strike was nothing compared to being evicted.

"Now that it's settled I suppose you'll want to go to your rooms."

Taking this as a cue the residents strode forward.

Keitaro stopped them. "Wait I'm not done yet. Even though Narusegawa received one strike I believe a point needs to be made. Having your privacy violated is an awful experience. Tell me do you all trust each other?"

The girls looked amongst each other. Motoko spoke. "I would trust them with my life," she looked defiantly at Keitaro.

"That's good to know," Keitaro said in an amused tone. "You look out for each other. Still there is a lesson about trust that I think you all need to learn. Since Narusegawa felt the need to go into my room I think I'll have you all share in the experience. So instead of you going back to your own rooms you're going to be spending the night in each other's rooms."

**-------------------------------**


	8. Placed Out Of The Comfort Zone

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 7: Placed Out Of The Comfort Zone**

"If you think about it a person's room is like their own private sanctuary isn't it? You arrange and decorate it to suit your tastes. In a way it's a reflection of yourself. It's your comfort zone. A place where you will always feel safe. Everything you hold dear to you, your innermost secrets are hidden there, safe from the prying eyes of others," he looked straight at Naru so not to have any confusion on who he was referring to.

The eyes of others moved onto Naru as well. Surprisingly enough, none of the residents had objected to the turn of events, they had been thrown off balance after hearing her admission of guilt. Naru swore she felt an invisible spotlight shine on her and remained motionless in stage fright. She could have passed off as a statue had it not been for her traitorous hands that trembled ever so slightly.

Kitsune spoke up to divert his attention from Naru. "What if we refuse to participate?" she asked cautiously.

"Then Narusegawa will be evicted," Keitaro stated. "This is the condition that comes with the second option that you all chose so willingly."

"That's blackmail," Kitsune argued.

"No, it's not," he replied. "**I'm** not forcing anyone to do this. **I'm** merely telling you the choices. **You **make the decision. Nobody has to do this if they don't want to. Does anyone want to bail out?"

He was met with silence.

"Then this is how it's going to work. Each of you will come in one at a time and I will assign you to a room. The rest of you wait out here until I come for the next person. You will be lodging in your 'new' rooms for the next ten hours and will only be allowed to leave for bathroom breaks," he clasped his hands. "Aren't you all excited? You should all give a warm thanks to Narusegawa for if it wasn't for her none of this would be happening."

Though they tried to hide it, Keitaro could see traces of resentment on their faces. _You made a mistake Narusegawa and now the others are going to have to pay for it. It doesn't look like they're too happy about it either._

"You're up first, Aoyama. This should be cake for you. I mean what's a night in a different room compared to your life?" he turned around and returned into Hinata Sou.

Once the manager was out of sight, everyone started talking at once. "Everyone please quiet down!" Motoko said trying to restore the order. In truth, the swordswoman was confused herself, nonetheless she knew nothing would be solved with this kind of chaotic behavior.

In time the commotion ended and Kitsune took charge. "Remember whose ever room you end up in don't repeat the same mistake that Nar--I mean we all trust each other and there should be no reason for us to suspect that anyone would do anything…look everyone keep your hands to yourselves got it?"

"Loud and clear!" Su answered.

Shinobu nodded vigorously.

Motoko cast a fleeting look towards Naru who was positioned a ways off from their group. The disheartened woman was gaping at the ground with such intensity that it appeared as if she wanted to burn holes into it. Motoko nudged Kitsune and nodded her head in Naru's direction. Kitsune got the point.

Preparing herself for what was in store for her, Motoko boldly strode towards Hinata Sou as Shinobu, Su and Kitsune watched on apprehensively.

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro was deliberating on where to send the swordswoman. He had already figured out where to place some of the other residents but since there nothing special planned in particular, he decided to go with the flow. As he mentally juggled the options he saw Motoko walk into the common room.

Not moving to acknowledge her, Keitaro stared off into space when he spoke. "You will be occupying Maehara's room tonight." His choice for her did not have any exacting significance.

"You seem to be thoroughly enjoying this," Motoko's voice held an icy tone.

"That's your opinion," Keitaro answered impassively. "You brought this on yourself."

"How do you plan on making sure we stay there?"

Keitaro gestured to the books and various study materials on the table. "I'll be monitoring from right here."

"All night?" she inquired sarcastically.

"If that's what it takes,"

"You're bluffing,"

Keitaro smirked. "Feel free to call it," he challenged.

"This isn't a game,"

Keitaro's eyes glazed over as if he was in another world. "Life is nothing more than a game of chess. Some people are born pawns and some are born kings---but if you're lucky you're born a queen," he spoke cryptically.

Motoko did not decipher the meaning behind his words nor did she have any interest in trying. "I don't like poets. Fancy words will only get you so far," she proceeded up the stairs but halted halfway. Motoko had been giving much thought to this matter and even though she hated to admit it, her distinct code of honor forced her to acknowledge the reality. "What Naru-sempai did was wrong. Nobody deserves to have their personal privacy violated."

Keitaro's temper flared at what was coming from a woman who had almost killed him and injured another resident. "You are the **last** person that should be judging this matter. What Narusegawa did pales in comparison to the atrocities you committed."

His reaction was unexpected; however Motoko did not pay much heed to it. Her intent had never been to console him. "I'm just stating my viewpoint, just as I believe that you shouldn't be staying an all females dormitory. The only reason I'm even going through with this ridiculous game of yours is because Naru-sempai is my friend and true friends stay loyal to one another." She resumed walking up the stairs to her assigned room.

_I've never met anyone with logic as twisted as yours,_ thought Keitaro but then he reconsidered. _Actually I have._

**-------------------------------**

Kitsune approached Naru and snapped her fingers in front of the distraught woman's face. "Hey, Naru, you okay?" She had grown quite unnerved by Naru's erratic change in attitude. For as long as Kitsune had known her, Naru had never acted in this sort of manner except for that time just after Seta…disappeared.

Naru lifted her head up and looked Kitsune square in the eyes. "Why don't you just come out and say it? You were about to earlier."

"Calm down, Naru," Kitsune said soothingly. "It's okay. Nobody is blaming you for this. I'm a bit irritated that you didn't let me in on your escapade. If I had been there you wouldn't have been caught."

"I screwed up!" Naru wailed.

"That you did. Big time, but you're still here, Naru," Kitsune grabbed her shoulders. "You're going to have to suck it up."

"Kitsune, I'm…"

"Konno, you're next!" Keitaro called out.

"We'll have to talk later. There's something that I really need to tell you all you guys," Kitsune following Keitaro into the dorm.

Su, Shinobu and Naru were left waiting outside. A gentle breeze blew by making a low sound across the hushed grounds.

"Naru-sempai, why did you do it?" Shinobu asked.

She was met with the inquiring eyes of Su and Shinobu. Naru squinted, once again feeling like she were under a spotlight. The fact of the matter was she was not so sure of her original motives anymore. Beads of sweat trickled down her skin as desperately searched for an answer to justify herself.

_Are you going to lie to them pervert?_ It was that damned voice again.

Naru took a few moments before she responded, "I didn't want to hurt him."

_Yeah right, how did you plan on doing that while sneaking in his room? Liar._

"I was trying to make sure that he was responsible person."

_You were trying to dig up some dirt on him. Don't try to justify it._

"I shouldn't have done it. I was wrong okay!"

Shinobu immediately backed off with a teary expression. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Naru had not realized that she had been arguing out loud with herself and struggled to assure the young girl of the misinterpretation. "It's not you, Shinobu. It's me. I'm yelling at myself. **I'm** the one that's sorry." Shinobu calmed down significantly.

Naru gazed at the two junior high students. She was bursting to tell somebody about the secrets she had discovered from the manager's room. Her expression turned serious as she prepared to reveal what she knew. "There's something I think the both of you should know. I found out something about the manager while I was in his room..."

"Well, what is it?" asked Su.

"When I opened his backpack I saw a bunch of Tokyo U study books. He's trying to get into Tokyo U," Naru explained.

"He looks old enough to already be in college," said Su.

"That's what I thought also," said Naru. "The scores that he got on his practice tests were terrible. He must be a _ronin_."

"But he's so smart…" Shinobu did not want to believe it.

"Not as smart as me," Su boasted with a victory sign. "Wait a minute, what's a _ronin_?"

**-------------------------------**

Back inside Hinata Sou, Kitsune watched the manager impatiently, sitting on the couch across from him. The living room appeared rather large and empty with only two people occupying it. There was heavy silence save for the ticking of the clock reverberated throughout the building.

The manager leaned forward and spoke. "You will be staying in Narusegawa's room."

"Who's going to be in my room?" Kitsune asked.

"That is not your concern,"

"What do you mean?" Kitsune demanded losing her patience. "It's my room. I have a right to know…"

"Did you think I knew when Narusegawa trespassed into my room? If I had come a minute later she would have made it out and I would have never known. She should have been evicted right then and there. Her and Aoyama both. That three strike rule I made, you all act like it's the worst thing ever, yet it's because of that rule that those two are still allowed to stay here."

Kitsune strived to control herself but she could not resist it. "When you first mentioned that rule and said that one of us had collected strikes, I was sure that it was going to be me. After what happened when I found you half dead in your room. You should've given me a strike but you didn't. Why?"

"Consider it a payment for bandaging me," Keitaro responded. "A way of saying thanks even though you tried to molest me."

"I don't think that's the reason," Kitsune opened her eyes and looked directly at the manager. "You didn't give me as strike because you didn't want the others to find out how badly Motoko had injured you. That's why, isn't it?"

Keitaro's eyes narrowed. "If you want a strike so badly you'll get one. Be careful what you wish for, Konno. It might just come to haunt you."

That was enough for Kitsune. "Whatever you say, Manager. If you don't mind I'll be going to 'my' room now." She walked up the staircase. _You may try to hide it but I know that's why you did it. You're afraid that if the others find out that you almost died from the attack, you'll look weak and there goes your authority. Looks like you're not as invincible as I thought._

"By the way, Konno," Keitaro called out just as she reached the door to Naru's room. "Haruka told me that you moved all of your alcohol into her teashop. At least she thought it was all of it. Let's hope she was right in her assumption."

_Oh, damn it, my secret stash!_ Kitsune mentally slapped herself._ If the person staying in my room decides to snoop around I'm screwed._

Two floors below Kitsune, Keitaro strolled through the lobby ready to call the next tenant in. Upon opening the front door he nearly bumped in to Kaolla who was standing right under the doorway.

"Finally!" Su exclaimed. "We've been waiting out here forever. I was about to come in and get you ron-"

Keitaro failed to detect her abrupt halt in speech. "You must have patience, Kaolla-san and remember you are not to enter until I call for you. Since you seem so eager you can come in next."

"Cool!" Su ran inside. Keitaro quickly glanced at Naru and Shinobu, who were giving him a strange look, before he shut the door.

He walked in shortly afterwards only to find a gleeful Kaolla jumping on the couch. She was an certainly a fascinating person, one minute explaining complex quantum mechanics and the next playing tag. _Where exactly does she receive her energy from?_ Keitaro wondered. _It's like she has an eternal sugar rush._ The foreign girl continued to jump higher and higher, at this rate the furniture would break.

"Kaolla-san, you can't do that," he stated.

"But it's fun," she protested, jumping off the sofa.

"You can do that as much as you like in Konno's room," Keitaro said. "You will be staying in her room for the night."

"The whole night?" asked Su.

"For the next ten hours, so yes, it will be the whole night," Keitaro replied.

Su shuffled her feet and stared at the ground. "But I can't sleep at night unless someone is there with me. I get scared by myself so I sleep in Motoko's room."

Keitaro sighed. "Kaolla-san, how old are you?"

"Fourteen,"

"You're almost in high school. It's time to for you to grow up. It's no normal for someone you're age to still be scared at night. What are you going to do when you get older? How are you going to manage your life? You're not a little child anymore," he knelt down and looked at Su in the eyes. This time she didn't look away. His eyes seemed softer.

"But I get scared," she argued.

"Kaolla-san, I assure you there is nothing to be afraid of," Keitaro insisted. "If you don't face this then you will never be independent. People aren't always going to be there for you. You have all this brilliance but you will never succeed if you don't stand up on your two feet. Besides you can jump around as much as you want in Konno's room."

Su smiled. "Really as much as I want? As long as want?" she asked. "Can I play with her **toys** too?"

"For as long as you please," said Keitaro.

Su brought her face really close to Keitaro's, her eyes was searching for something. "You remind me a lot of my older brother. That's funny though, because you two don't really look alike. Oh well, I like you, Manager, you may not play but at least you know how to have **fun**!" she sprinted off to her destination.

There were only two more people to go. Keitaro returned to the entrance and called out to Shinobu. "It is your turn next, Maehara-san."

Shinobu took a deep breath and went inside. She clasped her hands in front of her to keep them from trembling.

"How are you feeling?" he asked when she seated herself in the living room.

"I'm okay," Shinobu replied softly.

"There's no need to be nervous," Keitaro said soothingly. "Just take a deep breath and relax."

Shinobu nodded and breathed in deeply. _Okay, I'm going to do it. I'm going to ask him._ "Umm…can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Keitaro inquired.

"Are you a roninnnnnnnnnnnevermind," she lost her nerve. "I'm sorry I wasted your time!" Shinobu ran off in no particular course. _Great, now he's going to think I'm some sort of crybaby…why did I even bother asking in the first place?_

Keitaro was just plain bewildered by her behavior. _Umm…where exactly are you going?_ "Wait, Maehara-san, you are supposed to go to Aoyama's room!"

"Sorry!" Shinobu changed her direction.

_I don't have time for this,_ Keitaro thought irritably. There was still one last person waiting outside. The manager strode over to the front entrance and opened the door. Naru was waiting at the foot of the steps. He signaled for her to come inside without saying anything to her.

Naru followed Keitaro into the lobby. "I just want to say that I'm sorry," she said trying to make amends.

"I don't want to hear it," said Keitaro. "Just go to Kaolla's room."

"Why won't you listen to me?" Naru questioned frustratedly. "How many times do I have to apologize you damn roni…" she caught her tongue.

"Go to Kaolla's room or better yet go to hell because I don't want to hear it!" Keitaro shouted.

"Fine! Whatever!" Naru angrily stomped off.

He watched Naru until she was out of his sight and then sat down on the sofa. Keitaro loosened his tie and took of the jacket. He pulled the table close to him and opened up the math textbook.

_It's going to be another all nighter,_ he read the first question.

**-------------------------------**

Kitsune paced around agitatedly. The alcohol withdrawal was making her moody and to top it off there was absolutely nothing to do. _He could've at least let me grab a book._

She walked over to the bookshelf and scanned through the books. _Tokyo U Study Tools, Calculus Preparation, Practice Tests, Timed Tests… there's nothing here except textbooks and dictionaries._

A small book placed discreetly in between two textbooks seized her attention. The word 'Diary' was written on the thin spine. She deliberated for a moment. _No I couldn't. We all agreed not to go through each others stuff._

She stepped away from the bookshelf and sighed heavily. With the apparent lack of entertainment, she lounged about until she spotted the Liddo-kun doll.

_Naru's had this thing forever,_ she picked it up and absently played with it. While she was making the doll do flips and tricks she gazed down at the wooden board that covered the hole. _That's the source of this whole fiasco._

Kitsune placed the Liddo-kun doll aside and very slowly and carefully, she moved the board until there was a very small slit. She brought her head close to the ground and peered through the small opening. The landlord's room below was unoccupied. She grabbed the board and moved it off completely to get a better view.

_Can't say I blame you. I probably would've have done it myself had I been in your position._ Kitsune stared just stared down below. She actually considered jumping down. Just thinking about it gave her an adrenaline rush and though she entertained the idea that was as far as it went. Eventually she got bored and moved the board back over the hole.

_I wonder who's staying in my room._ Kitsune went through the possibilities and with the possibilities of who, came the possibilities of what they could be doing. _Good lord I hope she doesn't find my secret stash. That bastard is going to have a field day if he finds out._

She shook it off. _What am I worrying about? We can trust each other. Even if they did find it, it's not like they would tell him. Would they? Motoko has always gotten on my case about drinking. Shinobu is a goody two shoes and would tell because it's against the rules. Su would probably just blab it out. And Naru… _

…_she might do it too, just to get into good grace with the manager._ Her thinking was becoming irrational. _He's already pissed me. What if he gives me a strike for every bottle? That's like ten strikes!_

She stood up and began pacing again. _But would they tell? Who would be the most likely to spill? Who would be the most likely to find my stash in the first place? Who the hell is in my room? I have to know!_

**-------------------------------**

_Why is he being so unreasonable?_ Naru stormed down the hallway. _I can't believe I have to spend the night in Su's room._ She had tried to make peace with him, apologized to him twice now and still he refused to let it go. Granted Naru understood the extremity of her transgression but she did not know what else he wanted from her. By the looks of things, Naru had hurt him deeply, maybe even more than Motoko. Hopefully doing this room switch exercise would help ease the tension between them.

She opened the door to Su's room.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert," the robotic voice of the security system exclaimed. A pair of turrets sprouted out from the ceiling and took aim at Naru. The quiet hum of them charging could be heard as they prepared to fire.

_Oh shit!_ Naru dashed out and pressed her back against the wall right outside the doorway. She tried to catch her breath. _There's no way I'm going to get past that. Hmm… what if…_

Naru proceeded back up the hallway toward the direction of the common room. Just as she was about to turn the corner she spotted Keitaro working in the middle of the common room. She quickly ducked back into the hallway.

_He's still there!_ she thought frantically. Keitaro was to preoccupied with his work and hadn't noticed her yet. _What do I do? I can't go back to Su's room or else I'll get shot up._

She snuck another look around the corner. _What is he doing?_

She tried to focus on the table, before ducking back into relative safety. _Those are the Tokyo U books._ _I still haven't asked him about Tokyo U yet. It's probably best I keep it that way. Bringing it up would make him angrier since I found out about them when I was in his room._

There was nowhere else to go and she couldn't stay out in the hallway for the rest of the night.

_Don't you get tired of spying pervert?_ asked the voice.

_It's not that. I'm not trying to spy on him._ Naru argued back. _I'll be dead if I go back to Su's room._

_Why don't you tell him?_ the voice questioned.

Naru felt a lump in her throat. Up until now she had not realized just how scared she felt. It was never like this when Hina was manager; Naru could talk to the older woman about anything, but with Keitaro she was afraid that anything she said would set him off. The two were so different from each other that it was hard to believe they were related.

_What would you rather face? __**Him**__ or those turrets?_ the voice questioned her again.

It didn't take very long for her to reach a decision. Very hesitantly Naru went back down the hallway. The door to Su's room had been left open from when she had run out.

_Now or never._ She took a deep breath and readied herself. _One…two…three!_

She took off at full speed.

"Intruder alert, intruder alert," the robotic voice exclaimed once again. The two turrets came down from the ceiling. They charged up and began shooting at her.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaah!" Naru literally ran for her life towards the direction of the dense pack of trees. The mini missiles being fired from the turrets landed all around her but did not hit her directly. _Don't look back. Don't look back_!

The turrets had lost sight of their target, which triggered a malfunction in the programming. They went haywire and targeted each other instead. Each fired a barrage of mini missiles at the other and this time the missiles hit. That was the end of the security system.

Naru ran and ran and ran some more. Finally when it felt like her lungs were about to burst, she stopped. The exertion had left her breathless and she was panting heavily. When she regained her composure, Naru surveyed her surroundings. There were trees, bushes, plants basically jungle as far as the eye could see.

_Umm…where exactly am I?_

**-------------------------------**

Long tattered scrolls hung from side to side on the walls. A wooden rack hung on the wall perpendicular to it with four bokkens neatly placed on it. The scent of incense lingered around the room. There was a small table located in the middle of the room and Shinobu was seated right beside it with her legs crossed underneath the table. A look of intense concentration adorned her face. Naru's revelation about the manager's supposed roninhood had struck her deeply.

Though he had never told them that he was attending college, Shinobu would have never assumed that he would have failed to get into one. _If someone as smart as him can't get into a college, how can a person like me even hope to make it past high school? Life is already hard enough as it is._

She sighed dejectedly._ But maybe Naru-sempai is wrong. She doesn't know for sure that he's a ronin. He might have brought those books for…_

Shinobu couldn't think of any logical other reason. Her thoughts drifted back to the Keitaro. Her eyelids slowly drooped as she fell into a daydream. _Manager-san…_

"_No I'm not a ronin," Keitaro said laughing it off. "I brought these books because I want you to go to Tokyo U as well. With me."_

"_Will you help me?" asked Shinobu._

"_Of course I will. I'll help you every step of the way," Keitaro's and Shinobu's face inched closer and closer to each other until…_

Her elbow slipped on the table jolting her out of her reverie. Why did this always happen? Every time her daydreams got to the good part, something had to interfere.

_At least he's not standing right in front of me this time,_ Shinobu thought recalling the embarrassing event. With as much grace as possible the young girl moved her legs out from under the table and stood up. She had been very cautious of not touching anything in the room.

_Those scrolls look ancient_, she slowly backed up to get a better look at the entire scroll from wall to wall. As she took another step backward something poked her on the backside.

"Ow!" she yelped jumping forward. She turned around and saw a suit of samurai armor placed right in front of the wall. _I never saw Motoko-sempai wear this before._

She lightly traced her fingers over the armor and gazed at it in admiration. Suddenly all the pieces of the armor loosened and it made a loud crashing noise as it fell apart.

"Aaauuu, what have I done?" She tried to put it back together but to no avail. It just fell apart again. She began to tear up. _Motoko-sempai is going to be so angry!_

Shinobu desperately attempted to put the armor back together again. As she picked up the pieces from the ground she caught site of a little paperback book. She reached down and picked it up. It had the appearance of a diary because the writing on the cover was handwritten. The handwriting wasn't all too great. It was like scribbled cursive but it was readable.

"Beating Heart of the Young Maiden," Shinobu read off the title and grimaced somewhat. _That sounds kind of corny._

She continued reading, "written by…" her eyes widened in disbelief. "…Motoko Aoyama."

_I don't believe it._ Her curiosity had reached an all time high. With the scattered suit of armor temporarily forgotten, she moved over to the table and placed the novel on top. With the utmost care she opened to the first page and began reading.

_This is actually good; I didn't know that Motoko-sempai could write so well._ Shinobu found herself getting sucked into the story. The writing wasn't perfect but it was good enough to where she continued to read it. As the title had implied it was a romance story.

Shinobu read for the next half hour or so and had become deeply immersed into it. A blush appeared on her face when she read through one of the 'romantic scenes'. Even though she felt embarrassed Shinobu couldn't stop herself from reading every detail in the steamy scene. She imagined the scene so vividly that it felt like she was actually there watching it unfold in front of her. And just like that it ended. Literally.

There was nothing else written down after that. She flipped through the pages, hoping to find something but that was there was nothing. The novel had not been finished. Shinobu felt rather frustrated that the book had just stopped so suddenly. The last scene had left her feeling tingly all over and she was eager to find out what other **adventures** the 'young maiden' had. There was nothing else she could do except return it back to where she had found it which brought up the dilemma again.

The suit of armor was still in pieces behind her. This time she was sorely determined to put it back together. _Why did Motoko-sempai hide this book in the suit of armor? It's like she's trying to hide the fact that she likes to write. She buried the book inside the armor._

Shinobu felt herself bursting with all sorts of questions. _Does she still like to write? Is she still going to finish this novel? She hasn't given up on it, has she?_

She positioned the book on the bottom and began to stack the pieces of the armors around it. This time the armor did not fall apart. The small book provided a small support at the base that kept the armor from tumbling down. _I thought Motoko-sempai hated men. This doesn't make any sense. The Motoko-sempai that we know could never write a love scene like that. She would call it perverted. Now I'm really confused. _

_Is this some secret side that she's been hiding from everyone?_

**-------------------------------**

_Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?_ Su popped in and out searching through every nook and cranny. She always heard Kitsune would brag about her toys and how much fun they were. Naru would tell her to shut up about it, especially when either she or Shinobu were around. _It's probably because Naru's jealous that Kitsune won't share her toys._

Her search had lead her to the closet. _Let's see what's here._

She slid open the door. It looked like any other closet with nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Kitsune's clothes hung neatly from the rack and some blankets and clothes were folded and laid down on the floor of the closet. Su didn't buy the innocent appearance. She pushed the clothes aside. _Nothing._

She wasn't giving up that easily. _This feels like a scavenger hunt._

Her attention switched to the items on the floor. She moved the blankets and clothes out of the way but still there was nothing unusual. _Where are they?_

Su absentmindedly traced her fingers along the side wall in the closet when her hand felt a groove. Her head snapped to the side where she had felt the irregularity. She concentrated at the area around the hand and saw four slight lines that made up a rectangle. The foreign girl broke out into a smile.

_Found it._ She placed her hand over the square and pulled out a small piece of the wall. However what she saw wasn't what she had been looking for. There were approximately ten bottles placed in the hidden compartment.

_This isn't what I was looking for._ She pulled out one of the glass bottles from the compartment. She circled it around in her hand. _I am feeling kind of thirsty._

She twisted the cap off. _What is this? Apple juice?_ Without giving it another thought she brought the bottle to her mouth and gulped down its contents. She downed the whole bottle. _Hey this isn't half bad and I'm still thirsty so…_

She dropped the empty bottle on the ground and reached into the compartment for another one, downing it as well.

And another one and another one…

Kaolla dropped the fourth bottle; her vision was a bit hazy. "Fine –hic- forget it. If I –hic- can't find her toys I'll have to –hic- have fun without them."

That's when the mayhem started. Su jumped up to the dresser and flung out the clothes from the first two drawers. "It's –hic- raining!" she exclaimed dancing and twirling around.

All of the clothing floated down to the ground. She did a cartwheel backwards and picked up the empty sake bottles. "I can –hic- juggle!"

Su tossed the bottles into the air. She failed to catch any of them and the bottles crashed into the floor. The glass broke into separate shards. By chance she had jumped up into the air when this occurred and was left unscathed. She flipped over to the dresser and opened the next drawer. It just so happened to be where Kitsune kept all of her unmentionables.

"Hey, there's –hic- slingshots!" She grabbed one of the lacy thongs and pulled it back as far as she could and let go. It zipped through the room and hit the wall on the other side. "No this –hic- is boring."

Kaolla had another idea when she glanced at the broken glass on the floor. She picked up one of the shards and placed it at the end of another thong closing her left eye to take aim. "What should –hic- I fire at?" Not being able to decide on her target, she fired at the shelf in the corner and watched it shatter upon contact.

"Now that's –hic- cool," she grabbed more shards and shot the projectiles everywhere, pretending to be a spy agent. "This is –hic- double o nine! I'm –hic- surrounded!" One after another she shot the glass at her 'enemies'.

As she bent over to pick up another shard her vision faded in and out. "Can someone –hic- stop spinning the –hic- room? I want to –hic- get off." The alcohol had shut down her brain and she slumped onto the patch of clothes beneath her.

"This is agent double o nine. I've been hit," she whispered before blacking out.

**-------------------------------**

With the utmost stealth Kitsune stepped out of Naru's room and crept down the stairs. She crept down the stairs as quietly as she could when one of the steps let out a loud creak. _Damn!_

"What are you doing, Konno?" Keitaro asked from downstairs.

Kitsune leaned over the railing. "I'm going to the bathroom. We're allowed to go to the bathroom, aren't we?"

He stopped writing, looked up at her, before returning to his work. "Yes you can. But make it quick."

"You can't rush a woman's needs," she complained, continuing down the flight of stairs.

Kitsune reached the end of the steps and walked towards the bathroom. As she approached the door of her room she struggled to hear any sound on the inside. _Who's in there? Come on make some noise._

She peered over to the bottom floor to see if Keitaro was still watching her. His concentration was on his work and paid no attention to her. Kitsune slowly inched towards her door and pressed her ear against it. Her eyes narrowed in frustration. _Is she already asleep? Maybe she…_

"I'm not going to tell you again, Konno. Take care of your business and go back to your assigned room," Keitaro warned.

Kitsune drew back. "All right I'm going."

Keitaro's eyes followed her until she walked to the end of the hall and stepped into the bathroom.

_Not so trusting are we?_ Keitaro went back to his work again after having been interrupted twice by Kitsune. He checked his watch. It was approaching 11:00. He examined the work he had done so far. _These problems aren't getting any easier. If I want a chance at passing this exam I'm going to have to memorize these books. This is going to be the first of many sleepless nights._

He turned the page and started on the next set of problems.

Meanwhile, Kitsune exited the bathroom and hastily retreated up the stairs. She looked extremely irritated. Without so much as a glance at the manager she went back into Naru's room.

_This is ridiculous!_ She paced back and forth. _Whoever's in my room has probably gone through everything I have. I'll bet anything on it. She's probably pretending to be asleep._

Kitsune went over to the bookshelf and pulled out Naru's diary. _If that's the way it's going to be then I can play that game as well._

Ever since she had laid eyes on it she had been dying to read the diary. It was just to tempting to pass up. Her curiosity would kill her if she threw away this opportunity. _Me and Naru are best friends. It's not like we keep secrets from each other. Besides what she doesn't know won't harm her._

**-------------------------------**

_How can her room be so big? Did she tweak it or something?_ Naru walked past a large banana tree. _That's the third time I've past this tree,_ she thought recognizing the trunk. Naru had been lost for a while now. She approached the stream that flowed through the middle of the room. She went up to it and gazed down into it and saw the fish swimming about. _They look so beautiful._ She put her into the water. It felt cool and brisk. _What are the others doing right now? They partially blame me for this. No matter how they try to hide it I know they do. This was __**my**__ mistake._

Her stomach let out a growl. _I need to eat something or I'm going to keel over._ She moved away from the stream and began to search for anything edible. There was nothing to be found. Desperate to get something into her system, she popped a few leaves into her mouth and began chewing. Her face scrunched up.

_These taste terrible!_ She spit them back out. _I don't get it. Su always complains about being hungry all the time yet there's nothing heeeeeeeeeeeere…_

Her foot slipped on something and she fell to the ground. _How the hell did I…?_

She sat up to see what she had slipped on. It was a banana peel. _A banana peel. Why is there a banana peel in her room?_

And then it clicked. _Of course! I'm in __**Su**__'s room, the biggest banana fanatic in the world._ She looked at the trees and found bunches of bananas hanging down from the trees. Naru cracked her knuckles. _Let's do this._

She wrapped her arms around the trunk and hauled herself upward. She grabbed a branch that had a banana bunch hanging from it. Her hand inched as close as it could to the bananas.

_Almost there…got it!_ Naru pulled it into her grasp and climbed back down to ground level.

She peeled the bananas and ate them hungrily. _Not the best tasting thing in the world, but this isn't a time to be picky._

After she was done she got up and started her trek through the forest once more. Her eyelids began to droop. _All of this walking is taking a toll on me._

She saw an opening further up. _Wait is it? Yes it's the end!_

Suddenly feeling energized she ran through and found herself back in the clearing. There were two trees in the middle with a hammock hanging in between them. She walked towards it. In her current state the hammock looked like a king sized bed. Without giving it another thought she laid herself into it and fell into an exhausted slumber.

**-------------------------------**


	9. Repercussion

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime only.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 8: Repercussion**

Meditation. The ideal way to relax and reflect on one's self. It is also a great way to kill time when a person lacks something to do. When a warrior is not out training their body chances are that they are hard at work training their mind.

_How does he always manage to aggravate me?_ Motoko questioned herself. _Normally I am able to control my emotions but when he's around I…burst._

Her eyes shot open. The serenity of relaxation had been lost, thus killing the meditative state. It had been almost an hour since Motoko had entered Shinobu's room and she had not so much as looked at it. The young samurai now took the time to scan her surroundings. The room had been kept relatively neat. A desk with a few cluttered papers was located against the wall on the left side. There was a folded futon placed against the wall and an assortment of stuffed animals grouped together on a shelf in the corner. Everything in the room looked soft. In fact compared to her room, Shinobu's room was like a giant pillow.

The sill of stuffed animals held her interest. Motoko lifted herself off the ground and took hold of one of the plushies, it was a stuffed tiger. _What is so great about these?_ She had seen the way females at her school cherished them, especially if it was given to them by a male. The affectionate way the women would envelope their arms around the stuffed toys and hug them tight. _As if it was the person himself._

Motoko squeezed the stuffed tiger with the one hand that grasped it, she squeezed with so much force that she could feel the stuffing push up through the body and into the head of the tiger. After a few moments she released her hold on the plushy and watched as the stuffing inside gradually returned to its original place. The anger she had felt earlier began to subside.

_Maybe that's why they are so popular…_she thought as the tiger went back to its original shape. …_they help relieve stress._ An idea came to her mind. She still felt a bit stressed. _Perhaps the most effective way for these to work is to…_ Motoko pulled the plushy towards her chest and wrapped her arms around it. It felt rather comforting and a small smile spread across her face as she hugged it tighter and did a slow spin. The walls seemed to revolve around her. She unexpectedly stopped when she found herself on one of the walls.

It was her image being reflected back on a full length wooden mirror that hung just next to the closet. She had not noticed the mirror earlier since she had been meditating with her back to it. However that was not what had her attention at the moment. It was what she saw in the mirror that intrigued her… and disgusted her. What Motoko saw staring back was not her, it was a petulant child grasping onto a stuffed toy, an immature woman that found pleasure through such childish means, a helpless and fragile woman that was waiting for a man to come take care of her.

Her eyebrows contorted in anger. She let the tiger fall to the floor.

A memory sprung up from the confines of her subconscious:

A younger Tsuruko stood behind a ten year old Motoko and placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders.

"What is it that you see, Motoko?" she asked.

Motoko peered curiously into the mirror trying to find the answer her sister was seeking. "I don't understand _oneesan_, all I see is **you** standing over me."

"The way a person views themselves is crucial to becoming a great samurai, Motoko. Do you realize anything in particular about what you just said you saw in the mirror?"

Motoko thought it over and stared back into the mirror, trying to find the correct answer. "I still see only **you** , _oneesan_ … and me also," After a few moments she gave up. "What am I supposed to see?"

"Only you can answer that question, Motoko," said Tsuruko. "I think I know why you are having trouble with it," she stepped off to the side. "Now try it."

The memory faded away and Motoko returned back to the present.

_What do you see?_ The question repeated itself in her mind. The imposter that she had seen earlier in the mirror had disappeared. This time she saw a warrior with a face that held a pensive expression. She could pounce without warning at any given time, a man ready for battle. A **man.** Her clothes draped loosely on her body hiding her figure. In fact if she had wanted to, Motoko could pass off as a man. This had earned her much grief from Tsuruko who tried to hide it, but Motoko caught on to her subtle remarks.

Her elder sister had even come out and said it once. _"Motoko, I am afraid that you pursue your kendo training so much that you will forget how to be a woman. There is more to life than being an accomplished samurai."_

_That's easy for you to say,_ Motoko thought bitterly. Tsuruko had mastered the art by the age of fourteen and perfected it by age fifteen, the age Motoko was now and still struggling. Tsuruko was praised not only for her exceptional fighting skills but also for how she carried herself. Her femininity and womanhood had not been lost because of her position as the headmaster of the God's Cry School.

"_Ever since I was a child I have dreamed of this day,"_ she had told Motoko on her wedding day. "_I may be a samurai but I am still a woman."_ It was on that day that she lost her beloved sister to that bastard. Tsuruko had willingly given herself to him._ "I am in love with Hayate, you will understand how I feel someday."_

But Motoko did not want to "understand". She clenched her fists attempting to dispel the memory. _Why does the mirror bring up remnants of the past?_

Since she had been criticized for lacking it, Motoko constantly asked herself this question. _What does it mean to be feminine?_

To put it in simple terms all of these factors added up to one thing. A woman that was considered feminine was a woman that attracted men. If that was the case then Motoko was anything but feminine because she had no desire to appeal to men.

Motoko gazed at the mirror in approval. _This is who I am._ She struck a fighting pose and her hand instinctively reached for her sword, instead it closed over empty space where her katana should have been. _Where?_ And then she remembered why it was missing in the first place. A look of dismay passed through her face. Whether it was directed at **herself** or the landlord, she did not know.

_I must resume my training as soon as I can tomorrow or I'll never be ready._

**-------------------------------**

_I've tried every possibility there is._ Keitaro glared at his paper with avid frustration. He had spent the last three hours on the same problem. Quadruple checking his work, Keitaro found his calculations to be accurate. _So what the hell am I doing wrong!_ He threw down his pencil and leaned back into the couch. His head was throbbing from the tension. _I could really go for a cigarette right about now._ Keitaro decided to take a short break but no sooner had he shut his eyes; he felt his body pull him into a deep slumber. To counteract, he forcefully jerked himself forward to stop himself from dozing off.

_No don't sleep…you can't afford to sleep…you can't pass if you sleep._

He looked back to the paper. The scrawled calculations began to vibrate until numbers moved freely through the page. Keitaro gawked in astonishment as the numbers scrambled about the manuscript. After some time the digits rearranged themselves forming one word.

**FAILURE**

Keitaro jolted up with an audible gasp. His eyes glanced down at his paper. His work was the same as he had left it. _It was a dream…just a dream._ Though a bit shaken, he was not deterred.

For what felt like the hundredth time, Keitaro double checked his calculations. Unable to find the mistake, he grabbed his workbook and read the question over. _There has to be a reason why I keep getting it wrong…_His eyes widened when he discovered the problem. In his rush to solve the question he had missed an important piece of information. _The coordinate of the y value is given._

He snatched another piece of scratch paper and started jotting down the solution at a frantic pace. _After obtaining the system of equations, in order to find the solution you would take the derivative of the linear function 3x-2, which is 3._ He seized the workbook, quickly flipped to the back page and scanned down the list for the answer. _And the answer is…3._ The worn out landlord let out a contented sigh, however there was no time to celebrate.

_If this was the actual entrance exam, I would have spent the entire testing period on one question._ His eyes narrowed in disappointment. _No, this is nowhere good enough. I have to go faster…much faster than the bullshit I'm pulling right now._ Keitaro glimpsed up at the clock. The time was 2:23 AM. _I have eight hours to practice it._ Before he could give himself a chance to hesitate, Keitaro dove back into his studies and proceeded to the next question. Though he was not aware of it, the anger he directed at himself had left him feeling filled with energy and his body ran off of this natural caffeine for the rest of the night.

**-------------------------------**

The sun broke just over the horizon indicating the start of a new day. Keitaro was completely engrossed with his revisions and showed no signs of being aware of the light rays spreading throughout the building. Day had one the battle for now and chased away the last shadows of the night.

It was an unnatural hour to be awake, an actuality proven by the tenants of Hinata Sou, all of whom were asleep. Nevertheless, the night's rest had been fitful for all of them. They had grown accustomed to their bedrooms and this sudden predicament had placed them in an uncomfortable situation.

**-------------------------------**

Motoko's internal body clock sounded its alarm. It was time for her morning training session. Slowly her mind entered the conscious world and she rose up from the bed. Shinobu was much shorter than Motoko and because of this reason her bed lacked the length that Motoko was used to.

The swordswoman's legs awkwardly dangled past the sheets. She had not slept as well as she usually did and it took longer for her to ruse herself awake. Motoko felt a pressure in her lower abdomen indicating that her 'alarm' needed to be turned off.

This internal alarm was one of the first techniques she had been taught. Before going to sleep she would place a need to use the restroom right at dawn. It was an ancient method developed by the samurai when they needed to rise up for the early morning rituals. Though it was so simple, Motoko was still baffled at how accurately it worked.

As she did every morning, Motoko slid the door open and quietly glided through the hallway, so not to wake the other tenants. There was a bathroom located just outside of the corridor to the left. _How are the others faring? Was Su able to agree to sleep by herself?_

When Motoko turned onto the hallway, she glimpsed down over the railing and blinked in surprise at what she saw. _He actually stayed awake through the night?_ She watched him curiously as he jotted down on his paper, showing no sign that he was aware of her presence. This would have been a fatal mistake, had he been in battle. _A warrior can never let their guard down and must be attentive at all times._ The fact that she had begun reciting off the basic rules was a signal that her mind was already switching to training mode. Motoko's eyes lingered on the manager longer than she would have deemed appropriate before she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.

_What was that?_ The sound of the door shutting had finally alerted Keitaro that he was not alone. Brought out of his trancelike concentration he noticed the natural light of the sun that now surrounded him. His eyes circled about for the source of the noise. Whoever it was, Keitaro did not want to talk them right now. He checked the clock which read 5:44 AM. _Dawn must have just broken out._ He glimpsed at the windows in the lobby. The sunlight seeping from them was a written invitation to step outside. _I could use a breath of fresh air._ He decided left his studies for the moment.

Since it was so early the morning air was cool and crisp. Keitaro let out a jaw cracking yawn as he pulled his arms behind his back and stretched. He let out a sharp hiss when he felt something constrict around his body. _It's the bandages,_ he reminded himself. He let his arms down. _I've most likely healed completely by now. I'll take them off today._ His eyes took in the scenery. Everything was so peaceful and quiet; it felt as if he was standing in a painting. _It's just …_Keitaro tried to find the right word to describe it. _…dull. It's so boring. How can people just sit back and watch life go by?_

Back on the second floor of Hinata Sou, Motoko stepped out of the restroom. For some strange reason she found herself searching for the manager. He was nowhere in sight. _I don't suppose he would let me leave this ridiculous exercise early to train._ Her hands itched to grab hold of her sword; she did not want to skip her morning training over something as trivial as this. With the utmost reluctance she willed herself back to Shinobu's room. _Only because I promised you Shinobu…only because I promised._

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro hauled his work into his room and put it on the table, his study session had ended for the time being. He then picked up the thick folder he had received from Haruka and flipped past the profiles. _Here they are. The blueprints of this place._ Keitaro spread the map open, skimming through its contents. The contained detailed descriptions and locations of the rooms in the building.

Third Floor, Room 304: Narusegawa, Naru. _The room right above mine._

Second Floor, Room 201: Maehara, Shinobu. _That's the room perpendicular to mine and down the hallway._

Third Floor, Room 302: Aoyama, Motoko. _Perpendicular to my room and on the next floor, located right above Maehara's room._

Second Floor, Room 205: Konno, Mitsune. _It's the room right next to mine on the left._

First Floor, Room 101: Kaolla, Su. _That one is also perpendicular to my room from the right and is located right below Maehara's room._

He searched for the private bath. He was unable to bathe yesterday because of his wounds. _According to the map the bath is located on the third floor._

Keitaro grabbed his towel as well as the clothes he planned to change into. Since he was out of suits, Keitaro had chosen to go corporate casual with a striped button up and slacks. With said items in hand it was off to his destination.

The landlord's face lit up in recognition when he opened the door to the bath. _I remember this place. I used to bathe here when I was younger._ The private bath, relatively miniature was situated on an open balcony. Keitaro turned on the faucet and took off his suit while the wooden tub filled with water. Next he proceeded to remove the bandages on his stomach, wincing as they were pulled apart from his skin. Once they were off he discarded them side and examined body. There was no scar, not a single trace was left in the spot where he had been freely bleeding the night before. The invincibility factor had done its job. His body had recovered.

The young man traced his finger on where the gash had been and felt a couple of chills run down his spine. Keitaro cursed silently. Though he was able to recuperate from almost anything, his skin was exceptionally sensitive, especially on the neck. His entire body reacted to the lightest touch. _I guess that's the price I have to pay for this supposed invincibility of mine._ It aggravated him to no end nevertheless he had learn to cope with it.

The water had reached the top of the barrel. Keitaro switched off the faucet and slowly eased himself into the tub, allowing the warm water engulf his body. _This is pretty cozy;_ he mused as leaning back.

After he judged himself to be officially clean, Keitaro dried off with the towel and put on his clothes. The manager returned to his room, dropping off his suit and towel. He checked the clock. _It's almost 7:00. As of 9:00PM yesterday, ten hours have passed. _

He would retrieve the residents in the order that he had sent them. If this was the case then the first person on the list was Motoko. Keitaro went down the hallway and tapped on the door. "It's time to go, Aoyama!" he called out.

A couple of moments later a Motoko stepped out scowling. She did not speak.

_She's obviously bent out of shape over something,_ thought Keitaro. "We will get Konno next," he strode off. Motoko followed him wordlessly.

When they arrived at the door of Naru's room, Keitaro knocked on the door. "Are you awake Konno? It's time to leave!"

A faint rustling noise was heard from within. "I'm coming, I'm coming," Kitsune grumbled, she came out a few moments afterwards. "You couldn't have done this earlier?" she asked sarcastically.

"You will accompany us to fetch, Kaolla," Keitaro said continuing forward.

Kitsune feeling drowsy let out a yawn and followed the manager with Motoko alongside her. The group went back down to the second floor where Keitaro halted in front of the sliding door. Kitsune, still half asleep continued walking until she bumped into something. _What was that?_ The fox opened her eyes groggily to discover Motoko's arm blocking her path, the swordswoman had kept Kitsune from colliding into the manager.

Keitaro knocked on the door. "Kaolla-san, you may come out now!"

Kitsune looked about sleepily. _Who's the poor sap that got Su…wait a minute, this is my room!"_ She rushed to the door.

"Wait!" Keitaro warned, but Kitsune had already opened the door. Her face paled at what she saw. The room looked like a cyclone had passed through it. Kaolla's sleeping form lay upon the mass of clothes scattered throughout the area.

"Su!" an alarmed Motoko exclaimed sprinting inside. She evaded all of the glass on the floor and grasped the unconscious girl. "Su please wake up. You have to wake up!" Kaolla's breathing was very shallow; her head limped in Motoko's arms.

Keitaro scrutinized the damage. He picked up one of the glass shards, studying it closely. _This…this is glass from a sake bottle._

Motoko silently lifted Kaolla into her arms and carried her out, brushing past Kitsune who stood paralyzed in the hallway gaping.

_I honestly hope it's not alcohol poisoning or she's in for a hell of a rough time._ _Now where is that stupid…_ He turned around and faced Kitsune. The fox woman stared back in bewilderment.

"Why the hell are you so astonished?" he questioned furiously. "This is exactly the damned reason I wanted you to get rid of your alcohol. Do you think I make up these rules for fun? Why do you insist on disregarding what I say?"

His voice broke Kitsune's stupor and she yelled back. "Don't go putting the entire blame on me! This is your fault too. If you hadn't insisted on this stupid little room switch, none of this would have happened!"

"I'm not blam…"

Kitsune cut him off. "That's bullshit! You did this for revenge and you know it! So quit trying to hide behind this 'trying to teach a lesson' crap!"

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't do it for retribution, however that isn't the entire reason." Keitaro answered. "If you are going to play the blame game then you forgot to add Narusegawa who snuck into my room first and caused this chain reaction and you forgot to blame Aoyama as well, she has lead Kaolla to a dependency for someone at night. In a way it is Kaolla's own fault as well. You can go on forever about whose fault it is directly and indirectly. I'm not blaming you for what happened to Kaolla, but **you** are liable for deliberately breaking one of the rules."

"So that's a strike…"

"You got your wish," he replied. "Give me the rest of your sake bottles and I want **all** of them this time."

"They're in that hidden section of the closet," Kitsune pointed at the closet.

Keitaro pulled the bottles out of the compartment. "How many did you have?"

"Ten," answered Kitsune.

_Good lord. Kaolla consumed five whole bottles! I need to check on her._ He grabbed two bottles with his left hand and the other three with his right. "This had better be all of them."

Kitsune nodded. "That's the rest of them."

_Like I'm going to trust you._ "I'm going to find, Kaolla. I need you to gather up the rest of the residents."

"All right," said Kitsune. Cleaning her room would have to wait. She left to find the others.

Keitaro hurriedly placed the sake bottles in his room and rushed up to the next floor. _Aoyama must have taken Kaolla to her room._ He dashed over to Motoko's room anxiously rapped on the door.

The door slid open and Shinobu's face popped out. "Oh, Manager-san come in, Motoko-sempai is tending to Kaolla," she moved out of the way to let Keitaro enter.

Su was resting in the futon while Motoko brewed herbs on the table near her. The swordswoman glowered when she noticed Keitaro. "I do not require your assistance. Leave my room."

"I'll make this quick," Keitaro went over to Su and observed her closely. _She doesn't have any of the symptoms for alcohol poisoning. Looks like you're going to be all right, but that's going to lead to one nasty hangover. You really do have a stomach of steel or I guess liver of steel in this case._ He almost put his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, but stopped himself when he realized what he was doing.

Just then the door opened and Kitsune stumbled in wheezing. "You could have at least told me which rooms the others were in."

"Narusegawa is in Kaolla's room. I'll come as well," Keitaro glanced at Su once more before he departed along with Kitsune.

"Shinobu, I'll tend to Su. You can get started on breakfast," said Motoko as she poured her concoction into a wooden cup.

"I'll make something light on the stomach for Kaolla," said Shinobu.

**-------------------------------**

The duo consisting of Keitaro and Kitsune hunted for Naru in the jungle domain. Neither had talked on the way down, Kitsune who could start up a conversation out with almost anyone, felt awkward around the manager. He seemed to be completely preoccupied with his own thoughts and did not so much as acknowledge her presence as they walked side by side. Other then the times he was announcing something or pissed off Kitsune realized that he hardly spoke.

"Hey, Naru, are you in here!" Kitsune yelled out. "Naruuuuuuuuu!"

_This isn't going to work; we'll be here for hours at this rate,_ thought Keitaro. _This place is enormous, but maybe the jungle isn't as vast as it appears to be._

A distant voice called out to them. "Kitsune, is that you? Where are you!"

"Follow the sound of my voice!" Kitsune hollered.

"I'm trying!" she shouted back. A short while later Naru emerged form the forest and trudged towards them. Her clothes were tattered and her hair was a mess, besides that she seemed to be in good health. "I could've sworn this place was a lot bigger yesterday."

_Did Kaolla create an optical illusion?_ Keitaro pondered. His attention turned to the two women. "Ten hours are up, so you are free to do as you please, but before you go I want you to really think about how you felt during the time you spent last night. Being in an unfamiliar room probably made you uncomfortable right? You didn't know where things were or how they worked and it was hard to adjust to the new setting---Now I want you imagine how I feel being thrown into this unfamiliar place named Hinata Sou."

Neither Kitsune nor Naru had considered that. Now that he mentioned it, none of them really knew why he became manager in the first place; this mysterious man had popped into their lives out of nowhere.

The fox woman recalled yelling at the manager earlier. _I guess that's what he meant when he said that payback wasn't the whole reason._ She ventured a question "Well what exactly brought you to Hinata Sou in the first place?"

Keitaro smirked. "That's simple. This place belongs to me." _I'm here to take it back._ He left, leaving Kitsune and Naru behind.

This confirmed it for Kitsune. What she had overheard Keitaro tell Haruka about his plans for Hinata Sou was more than a threat; he planned on making it a reality. _I still need to warn the others about this._

The two women remained in Kaolla's room a little longer before departing. Kitsune filled Naru of the events that had transpired earlier in the morning excluding the details of what had happened the night before. The two tenants unconsciously followed the aroma of cooking food to the kitchen where Shinobu was preparing breakfast.

**-------------------------------**

Back inside Motoko's room, the young samurai had finally finished brewing the herbs and just in time too since Kaolla was stirring from her sleep. Kaolla let out a soft groan as she entered the world of the conscious. "My head is killing me," she whimpered.

Motoko leaned over Su. "Drink this medicine," she placed her hand under the foreign girl's neck and gently lifted her head. Bringing the cup to Su's lips, she tilted it slowly to help her drink.

"It tastes terrible," Su complained.

"But it will make you feel better," Motoko insisted. She held the cup in place until Su gulped the last of it down. "The medicine will start acting very quickly. We'll go down for breakfast in a little bit."

"Did you say breakfast?" Su rose up from the futon.

"Su you must rest!" urged Motoko.

"But I'm hungry!" she whined. "Come on, Motoko I'm all better now."

Motoko sighed and hesitantly. There was no use arguing with Su when she was hungry. "Okay let's go." She reluctantly left with the younger girl to the kitchen.

Upon their arrival they found Naru and Kitsune already seated at the table. Shinobu was putting the finishing touches on the meal.

Su amicably strutted to her chair. She would've have hopped to it but she still felt a dull pain on her forehead.

"Are you feeling better?" Shinobu inquired.

"Of course not, I feel terrible," Su replied frowning. "I haven't eaten all day."

Naru sweat dropped. _Yeah, she's back to normal._

"Okay, okay, it's almost done," Shinobu added the final ingredients and brought the dish to the table.

"Uhh Shinobu what exactly is this?" Naru asked looking at the indisputably bland food.

"This is a special white rice. It's really healthy and great for the liver," Shinobu explained.

"And just **what** is wrong with this kind of food?" Motoko questioned in a lethal tone.

"O-oh nothing at all," Naru stammered "I was just curious."

"Hehireuoir ehgieur heireiuv," Su attempted to speak with a mouth full of rice. Translation: If you guys don't want any, I'll take it.

"Su's right, Naru, food is food. It's better for it to have no taste, then for it to taste like **somebody's** cooking," Kitsune said mockingly.

"Exactly **whose **cooking are you referring to, huh, Kitsune?" Naru demanded.

"No one in particular," Kitsune said with a mischievous grin. Despite everything that had occurred they managed to have a normal breakfast, or about as normal as it got in Hinata Sou. They were all there, except for the manager who had disappeared shortly after his departure from Su's room.

**-------------------------------**

The residents had all agreed to assist Kitsune clean her room and met up together in front of her door after they had finished with their own quarters. Everyone stood agape at the wrecked area, even Motoko who had seen it earlier found herself askew at the sight that lay in front of them. The fox woman gave them a feeble grin.

"Did I do all of this? I don't remember anything that happened," Kaolla glomped onto the fox woman. "I'm sorry, Kitsune; I'm a thousand times sorry and still sorrier."

Kitsune ruffled her hair. "Don't worry about it. Just help me fix up the place."

"Let's get started shall we," Motoko cracked her knuckles.

The boarders all pitched in to help complete the daunting task. They chatted about menial things until Naru brought up a topic that had been temporarily forgotten. "So which one of you guys stayed in my room?"

Kitsune froze for a second before speaking up. "Umm…that would be me."

"What did you do?" asked Naru.

Kitsune chuckled nervously. "You know a little bit of this and that. There really wasn't much to do so I just lounged around…hey, Shinobu what about you? What were you up to in Motoko's room?"

"W-who m-me?" Shinobu stuttered. "Well…I-I did some reading…I mean I read…I read the scrolls on the wall." At that moment she became fascinated with the clothes she was folding.

_You're a bad liar, Shinobu. I'll have to get the truth from you later,_ Kitsune contemplated.

"What about you Naru? Did you have fun in my room?" asked Su.

"Well let's just say I understand why you sleep in Motoko's room," replied Naru. "By the way those bananas you grow are pretty tasty."

The insatiable banana lover gasped. "You ate my bananas?"

The tenants focused their attention on Su expecting something dramatic to happen the blonde girl took a deep breath. "I think they're tasty too," she said with a smile. Everyone besides her face faulted. The moment was anticlimactic to say the least.

"Hey what about you, Motoko? You stayed in Shinobu's room right?"

Motoko was slightly taken aback. "I meditated," she affirmed with a stoic expression.

_Leave it to Motoko to do nothing but meditate the whole time,_ mused Kitsune.

A discomfited hush fell over the residents. They were all wary of what the others had claimed to have done last night; however none of them wanted to be the first to admit it.

Shinobu blushed uncontrollably, when she saw the next piece of clothing in her hand. "Ummm… where does this go, Kitsune?" she asked, staring at the black thong. The blue haired girl could not bring herself to take her eyes off of it. _Is this really what older women wear? I still have teddy bear…_

Kitsune quickly snatched it from her hand. "How about you leave all of those to me?"

There was a knock from the doorway. "Konno, I need a word with you," Keitaro was standing just outside in the hall.

Kitsune shrugged at the questioning looks of the residents and went into the hallway. "What did I do now?"

"Here take this," Keitaro handed her a number of yen notes.

"What's it for?"

"The damages, since you weren't the one that caused them and Kaolla was under the influence, it's my responsibility to as landlord to cover the costs."

Kitsune counted through the money. "It's about time you did something right."

"I wouldn't spend it if I were you. The rent is going to be due soon and judging from what you tried to pull on me, I'm guessing you near broke. So I'll get my money back soon enough," he smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to fix this loophole so I won't be liable for something like this again."

Kitsune gritted her teeth as the manager left. _That cocky bastard!_

"What happened?" Naru peeked into the hall.

Kitsune quickly pocketed the money and waved it off. "Nothing, he's just giving me a hard time about breaking the no alcohol rule." She entered the room with a proclamation. "There's something really important that I need to tell all of you, but I can't say anything until we fix this place up."

It is quite amazing how much a little motivation can accomplish. The tenants spruced up the room in record time and gathered around, waiting in anticipation for Kitsune's big news.

"Motoko, close the door would you?" requested Kitsune. "I don't want **him** listening in."

The swordswoman complied, sliding the door shut. She folded her legs and sat with her back to the door. "I'll listen for anyone that might walk by."

"Good thinking," Kitsune gazed at her audience. This is the official meeting of the Hinata Sou Residents. Now the topic that I'm…"

"Will you spill already?" pushed Naru.

Kitsune drew back "Okay, okay. Yesterday when I was at Haruka's teashop, the manager walked in with this huge watermelon," she held her arms apart to indicate the size. "Apparently he had just returned from Tokyo U…"

Naru's eyes widened. _I knew it!_

"…he's planning on taking ownership of this place when he gets accepted in Tokyo U. When this place is handed over to him he's going to evict us all and to turn it back into a hotel, maybe even a guy's dormitory."

Utter pandemonium ensued as all the residents reacted to this revelation.

"He can't do that!" Naru argued.

"Where am I going to go?" Shinobu wailed, tears streaming down her face.

"Why didn't anybody listen to me?" Motoko shouted. "I knew keeping that bastard here was a bad idea!"

"But I don't wanna leave!" Kaolla screeched.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" Kitsune's words fell to deaf ears. _The best thing to do is to wait it out._ She closed her eyes and rested until the commotion finally died down. "Now that we've all settled down, we need to think of a plan."

Naru offered her input. "He's taken the entrance exam before and failed it so he must be a _ronin_."

"So we know that he's failed to get accepted before and we know what his motives for wanting to be accepted are," Kitsune' brain began hatching a plan. "Our goal is to stop him from being passing the entrance exam---that's it! Naru you're also trying for Tokyo U, if you study with him, then you'll be able to sabotage him directly."

"What? Wait, who said I want to do this? How am I supposed to do it? That guy practically hates me," Naru defended herself. "Besides I saw some of his work. He'll need a miracle to pass the entrance exam."

"We can't take that chance. Come on, Naru, do it for the team!" Kitsune gestured to Kaolla and Shinobu. "Do you really want to see these two thrown out in the streets?"

Just as Motoko had predicted, allowing a man to stay at Hinata Sou had lead to nothing but problems. This male landlord had done nothing lecherous as of yet, nevertheless his arrival completely changed the atmosphere of the once relatively carefree dormitory. Motoko had already taken notice of his corruption of Shinobu. _He is a plague that must be rid of before he causes permanent damage. Desperate times call for desperate measures and I have failed to drive him out. Maybe Kitsune's methods will prove to be successful._

Motoko spoke in a somber voice, "Naru-sempai, as much as I hate deception, I see no other option other than Kitsune's plan. We must do everything we can to prevent that male from passing the entrance exam. You are the only one among us that can have the highest impact."

It was strictly Naru's call now, whether to accept or decline. The auburn haired woman felt everyone's eyes fixated on her, silently pleading. _Even if I agree, how am I supposed to convince him to let me study with him? It'll never work._ All the tenants were depending on her, if she refused, it would no doubt make her an exile among them. She also felt accountable for the room switch tribulation and knew they partially blamed her as well. Perhaps this was the way to redeem herself among them.

Naru gave in. "All right, I'll do it."

Kitsune grinned. "Here's what I was thinking…" The tenants all leaned in to listen to her master plan.

**-------------------------------**


	10. Oppurtune Alliance

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 9: Opportune Alliance**

After an extended time of deliberation the tenants agreed to set the plan into motion. It was dubbed **'Operation Sabotage'** by Kitsune, who became the unofficial leader behind the project. No one had any problem with that, after all scheming was her area of expertise. The new threat of being evicted caused the tenants to bury their suspicions of what had occurred during the exchange of rooms the night before. Still, Kitsune was not one to let something go; she made a mental note to find out the truth of what took place during the nocturnal hours.

Approximately one hour had passed since the residents had dispersed from Kitsune's room and dusk was fast approaching. The fox woman lay back, and for the first time she truly reflected on what had happened on the last few days, particularly the incident between her and Keitaro on the first night. His behavior during their semi-intimate encounter entirely perplexed her. A normal man in that situation would have reacted with desire or maybe even shyness; instead the only emotions Keitaro had shown were anger and disgust. Kitsune could have sworn she also saw look of fear pass through his eyes for a fleeting moment.

Up until now, she could turn any guy into a flustering idiot with her feminine wiles. She could not imagine why a man would turn down an opportunity like that. _Did I come off too strong? What if he already has a girlfriend?_ For some reason she doubted that.

She went over a few plausible possibilities. Perhaps her timing was off due to the condition he was in, but most men would have wanted something pleasurable to take their minds off the pain. Another possibility might be that he was gay and harbored no interest toward women.

Kitsune squinted in confusion, unable to come up with a clear cut answer. She plainly did not know enough about him to explain his behavior. The spectacled man was an enigma. He was unpredictable; his demeanor ranging from genuine concern, to cold indifference, to enraged fury.

_I just don't get him,_ Kitsune had no idea what to make of his actions, there was too many unknowns; however there was one thing that she knew for certain, Keitaro was not normal.

**-------------------------------**

Rushing down the steps of Hinata Sou, Motoko headed in the direction of the café to retrieve her sword. She had been delayed long enough as it was and anxiously anticipated to begin her training. Once inside the tea shop, she approached Haruka, who was handling money behind the register.

"Haruka-san, I…" Motoko trailed off awkwardly as the elder woman walked back to the storage, showing no acknowledgement that she was even aware of the swordswoman's presence. Haruka emerged a few moments later, holding the sword in her hand.. "I'm guessing this is what you came for," she said placing it on the counter.

"Yes," Motoko grasped her sword, gazing at it with affection. _My precious Shisui,_ she was about to remove the sheath when a firm hand gripped her arm.

"I told you before, I don't want to see the blade inside here," Haruka's expression was unnaturally stern.

Motoko was taken aback. "Yes, of course," she replied meekly, letting go of the sheath. The swordswoman had not forgotten the strength Haruka had exhibited on her during the incident with Shinobu. Even now she could almost feel the infallible grip around her neck.

Haruka released her hold and Motoko silently walked out of the café. On the outside she was faced with a new problem. _Where can I train?_ She wondered searching throughout the area. There was plenty of land around the dormitory to choose from; she could use all of it if she wanted to, her limitation being that it was kept outside. She wandered on and on until she reached the waterfall at the back of Hinata Sou. _This is a good place,_ she thought admiringly. Motoko unsheathed her sword at last and commenced her one thousand strike routine.

**-------------------------------**

Naru apprehensively descended to the second floor, mentally preparing herself for what might happen. Her first task was to ask Keitaro if he would be willing to study with her. This was the moment she had been dreading ever since she had agreed to Kitsune's **Operation Sabotage**, the last thing she wanted was another confrontation with the landlord. As she advanced to the landlord's abode, their past confrontation repetitively played through her mind with a distinct emphasis on the part when he had declared her a pervert. The word had disturbed Naru more than she realized.

_How am I supposed to explain that I now he's going for Tokyo U?_ During their planning session no one had given any ideas as to how she would ask Keitaro. To be honest, Naru was almost certain that he would reject her proposal; she was only attempting this out of the obligation she felt.

The auburn haired woman was now standing in front of the door. She internally prepared herself taking in a deep breath. _He seems to have calmed down towards me. Who knows, he may even accept my offer. _She tentatively knocked on the door, secretly hoping that no one would answer. Little did she know, her wish would have been granted, had she knocked a bit softer.

Keitaro was comfortably sleeping, until the sound from the door roused him awake. _What the hell is it now?_ He considered simply ignoring it but grudgingly pushed the sheets off, groggily shuffling to the door clad in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

His foot somehow caught in one of the sheets causing him to slip and fall face first onto the floor. Luckily he was not wearing his glasses, although wearing them might have prevented his fall. Keitaro may have been irritable at being woken up but now he was seething. Not only was his cheek painfully sore, to top it off he was wide awake and would probably be unable to go back to sleep.

"This had better be good," he whispered dangerously, resuming his course for the door.

Standing on the outside, Naru had heard a loud smack come from within the room. _Probably just dropped something,_ she thought casually. Though she was completely unaware of it, her poor timing mixed in with bad luck had made things a lot harder for her.

The door slid open revealing a rather pissed off manager rubbing his cheek. "What is it?" he asked edgily.

Naru had been hoping to catch him in a pleasant mood; however, there was no turning back now.

_He looks different without his glasses,_ she observed mechanically.

It was time to use the line she had been practicing. "I was wondering that since you're planning to apply for Tokyo U and I am too, that we can study together… you know since we have a common goal maybe we can help each other out." She paraphrased a little, but it was close enough.

Her proposition caught Keitaro off guard, leaving him stunned momentarily; after it wore off he spoke. "Why do you think that I want to go to Tokyo U?"

There it was the inevitable question Naru had hoped to avoid answering. _I knew he was going to ask that! What the hell am I supposed to say?_ she thought fervently, wishing to have taken more time to think everything over.

"You have a bunch of Tokyo U prep books so I assumed…" she trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

Now it made sense to Keitaro. "You discovered this when you were being perverted in my room, am I right?"

Naru flinched inwardly at the word, but she managed to recompose herself, determined not to back down so easily. "I was hoping that we could put the past behind us and start with a clean slate."

The landlord was suspicious of her insistence. "If you found out that I wanted to get into Tokyo U, **in the past,** why are you bringing it up now?"

"I didn't mean for it to be literal," she mumbled.

"So you only want to forget about **certain** things? You can't just throw away every bad event from the past. People remember what you do to them, sometimes they never forget, and every time you see that person, you're reminded of what you did to them. It becomes a dark cloud that hovers over your head."

Naru gazed at the floor almost whispering. "Maybe they can't forget, but can they forgive?"

"Why, so they can make themselves vulnerable, only to be set up again?"

_You don't know how close you are,_ thought Naru. She pushed herself to ask one last time. "Would you still consider studying with me?"

_I thought I already made my answer obvious._ "You sure are persistent, but you haven't proven to be trustworthy in the **past** and I don't trust you now, so no—oh, and by the way, I want you to have that hole fixed and sealed by tomorrow," he shut the door, signaling the end to their conversation.

"Pssst, Naru, over here!" a voice hissed.

Naru whipped around, finding Kitsune standing in the open doorway of her bedroom waving her over.

"I heard everything," she whispered. "We need to talk."

**-------------------------------**

Motoko wiped the sweat off of her face with a cloth as she walked into the lobby. Her training session had progressed well, although she had to admit she felt distracted, not being able to focus as much as usual.

_Perhaps it was because I was in a new environment,_ she reasoned. _Still a samurai must be able to adapt to different settings, I will have to work at it._

This minor setback was not enough to kill off her good mood. During her training, she had released all of the pent up stress that had accumulated over the last couple of days. _I have not had a proper training session ever since he arrived. _She smiled. _It is a much better way of getting rid of stress than squeezing stuffed toys, no offense to Shinobu._

"RIIINNNGGG! RINNNGGG!"

The noise of the phone ringing came from near the kitchen. Seeing as there was nobody else around, Motoko hurried over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?" she asked into the receiver.

Only the faint sound of soft breathing came from the other end.

Confused as to why the other person was not responding Motoko repeated herself. "Hello? Can I help you?"

Still there was no reply, yet the hushed breathing continued on until the line cut off.

_Hmm… probably a wrong number,_ Motoko thought hanging up the phone. She headed to the open bath to wash up before dinner.

**-------------------------------**

Later that night, Keitaro ventured down to the café for dinner. Haruka had closed down shop for the night and was stocking up, while he ate.

"Are you going to come here for every meal?" she asked finishing with the cabinet.

"You don't want me to?"

"It's not that, but the only time you ever come down here is when you want to eat, I'm going to have to start charging you soon."

Keitaro smiled, he could not leave that hanging. "At the prices you charge, I'll go broke in a week."

"I've got to make a living too you know," she approached the table and sat down across from him. Reaching into her apron, she took out a carton of cigarettes.

Keitaro eyed the carton laying the table within arms reach. "Can I have one?"

"No smoking is bad for your health," she brought a cigarette to her mouth, lighting it. "Besides, you completely kill the art involved with it."

"I suppose someone as **old** as you is the epitome of cool, huh, **Aunt** Haruka?"

"Watch it."

Keitaro laughed.

"So how's the management position going? Anything new happen?" she inquired, changing the subject.

Before he could reply the phone started to ring.

"Hold that thought," Haruka went to answer the phone.

Keitaro absently watched on. _That reminds me, I still need to call up Shirai and Haitani. It feels like I haven't seen those guys in ages, I remember that one time in Prep School we--,_ his reminiscence was cut short at his sudden realization. _–oh, dammit! Tomorrow is Monday, Prep School starts up again._

Haruka returned with an irritable mood. "These damned pranksters have nothing better to do than waste time on useless crank calls! This one was a real genius, just breathed the whole time, its ridiculous!"

"That's great, I'm glad you found it," Keitaro said distractedly standing up. "I just remembered that tomorrow is the first day of Prep School. Thanks for the dinner I'll talk to you tomorrow!" he hastily rushed out of tea shop.

Haruka proceeded to clear the table, grumbling about not being his maid. Whilst wiping the tabletop, she realized that the carton of cigarettes she had left there were gone.

**-------------------------------**

During the dinner, from which the landlord was once again conspicuously absent, Kitsune clued the others in about Keitaro's refusal to study with Naru. A debate on what to do next sparked between the samurai, the fox and the Tokyo U aspirant. The two middle school girls retained a passive role, offering no input, silently watching on as spectators. Ever since the development of 'Operation Sabotage', the both of them just sort of tagged along with whatever the older tenants decided, not knowing what else to do.

The conversation between the three elder boarders raged on until the noise of the front door opening silenced them. For a brief instant the form of the manager was seen through the rectangular archway of the kitchen as he passed through the living room. Eyes darted back and forth between the residents, no one daring to speak. After a few tense minutes, conversation resumed to different subjects. There would be absolutely no risks taken to jeopardize the secrecy, because if they were caught, it would be all over.

**-------------------------------**

At a time far too late in the night, a dim lamp cast its white light onto a desk where Keitaro was seated, his legs neatly folded underneath. A cigarette loosely dangled from his mouth, while he busily scraped one of the matches he had found in the kitchen against the rugged strip on the box.

_I really need to get a lighter,_ he thought bringing the ignited match up to the cigarette in his mouth. Upon lighting it, he shook the match to douse the fire, cursing under his breath as he burnt himself.

Keitaro coughed when the smoke entered into his body, though he recovered rapidly since his body beginning to get used to it. Having been unable to go to sleep, he opted to study rather than lie uselessly awake staring at the ceiling.

Throughout the course of the night, Keitaro persevered in his studying, without so much as stopping to blink. Though he had vowed to speed up, he found himself struggling with almost every question. The young man had to repeatedly look up formulas, quite often finding himself working backwards by using the correct answers from the index of the book to help him understand how to solve a problem. This tedious process went on till 4:00 in the morning when he finally collapsed into his futon falling into a disturbed sleep.

Amidst his tossing and turning he dreamt about showing up to Prep School naked, getting a zero on his practice test and receiving a verbal thrashing from a **female** professor. These dreams faded out and an all too familiar one began:

A little girl wearing a striped shirt and overalls stood with her back faced to a five year old Keitaro.

_It's the promised girl._ He wanted to call out to her, but no sound came out. _Her name, what's her name?_

"Kei-kun, have you forgotten my name?" she asked, her back turned to him.

He tried as hard as he could to recall the name that always seemed to elude him. "Maybe if I see your face I'll remember, can you turn around?"

Slowly the little girl twirled as if dancing, he was about to see her face when the image distorted, replaced with a giant ringing alarm clock.

His eyes fluttered open, and he craned his neck to check the buzzing clock. A second later, Keitaro bolted out the door to the private bath. Apparently he had been sleeping so deeply, that his alarm clock had rung for a half hour straight without waking him. After showering and dressing in record time, he strapped on his backpack running down the lobby.

"Where you be goin' manager?" Su asked prancing about with her books. "Are you going to school also?"

"Sasagi Seminar," he replied breathlessly rushing out.

From inside the kitchen, where breakfast was currently being served, Kitsune overheard his reply. _Sasagi? Isn't that where Naru headed off to this morning?_

**-------------------------------**

From Hinata station, it was a one hour train ride into the city. To avoid eye contact with the other passengers, especially the females, he gazed at the scenery through the window behind him. Keitaro had paid little heed to his dream about the promised girl, blowing it off as random musings of his subconscious.

He could barely conceal his anticipation as a jittery sensation coursed through his body. This was it, a fresh start and a new beginning. Everything would be different this year. He was going to fulfill **his own** dreams, **his own** goals.

_I'll grab any opportunity that presents itself, no matter what,_ he vowed, clenching his hands.

The train arrived at its destination, and from there it was about a five minute walk to the school. Before he knew it Keitaro was walking down the same halls that he had walked through for the past two years. Getting lost in the moment, he accidentally bumped into a woman passing by.

"Excuse me," he said nonchalantly brushing past her, not noticing the astonished expression etched on her face.

Class had not begun yet, the students were scattered about in groups chatting with each other.

"Yo, look who finally decided to show up."

"Lucky for you, we have a new teacher and he hasn't arrived yet."

Turning around, Keitaro was greeted with the grinning faces of Shirai and Haitani. "How's it going guys?" he asked sporting a grin of his own. It was a touching reunion between the three friends, involving a lot of dumb jokes and gossip.

"So you guys see anyone you recognize?" Shirai asked scouting the perimeter.

Haitani crossed his arms in dismay. "Judging from the fact that basically everyone we know from last year actually got into the colleges of their choice, I'd have to say no."

Their searching was interrupted by a man walking through the center of the aisles. "Everybody, please find a place to sit. Class is now in session!"

The classroom was set up like a coliseum. There were five rows of desks, each of which consisted of three long desks which could seat six people. The desks on the outer edges curved around to the sides and in the front center was where the teacher's desk lay.

Shirai, Keitaro and Haitani relocated themselves the desk on the second row, left hand side.

The man waited patiently, his arms behind him as he leaned against the center desk. He was tall with a slim figure, dressed casually in a forest green jacket and brown pants. A white band was tied around his forehead keeping his neck length bangs away from his eyes.

Eventually the chatter died down as every student focused their attention on the man -most likely their new teacher- waiting for him to speak.

He lightly cleared his throat before addressing the class. "First off, I would like to welcome you all to the first day of Preparatory School, here you will learn the skills you need to become successful and hopefully be accepted into the college of your choice. I always encourage you to aim high; anything you want can be reached as long as you are willing to put the work into it."

He randomly ceased talking for a few moments, glancing at the ceiling and the walls with avid fascination.

Keitaro, among with many of the other students watched on silently, puzzled by his eccentric behavior.

"I'll keep my introduction short. As many of you might have guessed this is my first year teaching at this school, I live in Kyoto with my wife and will be commuting back and forth on the weekends. As for my name, you can simply call me by my first name Hayate. I'm not one for formalities so that will do just fine."

For the next hour, Hayate lectured on various subjects that would appear on the tests, and although he was soft spoken, he still somehow managed to command the attention of the students. Later on he allowed them to break into groups to work on the practice problems. Of course most students took this time to socialize with each other, the bespectacled trio being no exception.

"Look it's the results from the old practice tests," Shirai said bringing the list over. "This is you right here, Keitaro," he gestured to the near bottom of the list.

Haitani let out a low whistle. "Get ready for another year of _ronin _hood. I sure as hell wouldn't want to admit that low of a rank."

Paying no attention to his remark, Keitaro started on the assigned practice problems.

"Hey look at her over there. Doesn't she look like a big time bookworm?" Haitani snickered.

"Huh, you guys don't know her, she was tops on the last practice test," Shirai explained. "She holds the **number one** rank in all of Japan. The best of the best."

This captured Keitaro's attention, "Who ranks number one?" he asked almost demandingly.

"Her right there," Haitani pointed.

By then it was obvious to the woman that they were talking about her, though they were to far away for her to make out their words. She tried to concentrate on her work, doing her best to ignore them.

Keitaro observed the woman, an obscure part of his brain telling him that it recognized her from somewhere. _She looks rather familiar…_

An intense glare reflected off from her large circular glasses, causing much of her face to remain hidden.

Keitaro readjusted his own glasses, squinting to get a better look. _…in fact if it wasn't for the braids, she'd look exactly like that tenant Na…_

Shirai interrupted his line of thought pointing to the top of the list of scores. "Here it is, her name is Narusegawa, Naru."

A sudden sharp intake of breath left Keitaro nearly gasping. "No… there's no way in hell..." he whispered snatching the list from Shirai. Lo and behold, there was her name listed on the number one spot, the undeniable proof of her accomplishment.

_How can someone who acted so ignorantly, attain the top position in the nation? I've been trying for two godforsaken years and still have nothing to show for it. This is complete and utter bullshit, I…_

He shot a look at the woman, now identified as Naru. _And what's with the getup? I can't believe she's in the same class and I didn't even…_

"You all right?" Haitani waved his hand in front of Keitaro's face, bringing him out of his mental diatribe. "You look like you want to kill someone."

"I'm fine…" Keitaro rubbed his temples and exhaled slowly, hoping to get his blood pressure back to normal levels. "…I'm fine."

"I think we should get to work guys," Shirai suggested. "This assignment is going to be collected."

"How the hell does Shirai always know these things?" Haitani muttered under his breath to Keitaro, who stifled a laugh.

However Keitaro's mind was elsewhere, the recent revelation swarming inside his thoughts, mocking him over and over again. For the duration of the class period, he found it tremendously difficult to pay attention to the lesson, his gaze frequently shifting to Naru, instead of the teacher.

_Why does he keep looking at me?_ Naru wondered as she jotted down her notes during the lecture. She threw a wayward glance across the room, confirming that Keitaro was still staring in her direction. She felt her cheeks grew hot. _Why am I blushing? It's not like I like him or anything!_ To her horror, the thought made her blush even more. _Oh my God! I probably look like a cherry! I need to get out of here!_ She hurriedly stumbled out of the classroom, excusing herself to use the restroom.

Keitaro watched her leave with an arched an eyebrow, _l find it hard to believe that someone like her managed to get the highest score on the practice test._

**-------------------------------**

Naru cupped her hands under the running faucet, scooping the water into her hands and splashing it across her face, sighing at the cooling sensation.

_That's much better,_ she thought looking up into the mirror above the sink, watching the droplets of water slide down her cheeks. _Geez…I can't believe I got so worked up about nothing. I'm probably just nervous because it's the first day… yeah that's it._

That was the least of her problems at this point, there was a more pressing issues at hand. The situation was more dire than she had expected. _He must be serious about getting into Tokyo U if he's attending Prep school._

She thought back to the conversation between her and Kitsune the day before, following her failure to convince Keitaro to study with her. They had whispered in hushed voices, the landlord just on the other side of the wall. Naru had wavered, suggesting that they perhaps try an alternative approach.

Kitsune's tone had been grave, her mind clear of any intoxicants. "Listen, Naru, I know you feel guilty for what you did to him before, and I understand that you don't want to affront him again. But he's way too unpredictable. Have you noticed the way he acts? He's not normal, Naru; we can't bet on the fact that he'll randomly decide to change his mind."

She put a hand on Naru's shoulder. "It's either him or us. I love living here and I know you do too. We may be down for now, but if you get another opportunity, whatever you do, don't let it slip Naru… don't let it slip."

The memory dissipating and Naru returned to the present wiping her face with a paper towel. _I guess I can ask him one more time,_ she thought tossing the crumpled wad into the trash bin.

**-------------------------------**

At the lunch break in the cafeteria, Shirai and Haitani listened with rapt interest as Keitaro outlined what had occurred to him in the past few days, telling them everything except for the part about the room exchange. Come to think of it, he had not told Haruka about it either.

"Dude, I always thought Kanako had a few screws loose," Haitani commented. "She takes after your mom."

Shirai offered his input. "That's quite the predicament you're in. I'm glad to hear that you're fairing well, those tenants at Hinata Sou sound like--,"

"Total bitches," Haitani cut in.

"That's not what…" Shirai started only to be cut off again.

"Seriously, Keitaro," Haitani said taking bringing the fork to his mouth and taking a bite. "I would not go back there without a gun or something – I mean you shouldn't even have to deal with these psychotic people."

"Will you let me finish!" Shirai yelled.

Both Haitani and Keitaro gave him baffled looks, including the other students in the cafeteria, wondering what the commotion was about. Shirai nervously chuckled pretending to have no idea of what had happened. Eventually they went back to their own conversations, the noise of chatter resonating throughout the cafeteria once again.

"Like I was saying," Shirai said flustered at his earlier outburst. "You shouldn't act too rashly, in spite of everything these tenants are your responsibility, especially the younger ones. I'm not saying that you have to be friends with them, but you should try to remain civil."

"What are you talking about, Shirai? After all the crap they pulled?" Haitani retorted.

"I know, I also know that the younger tenants did nothing wrong to him so he should --,"

"Are you kidding me? They're just as bad! One of them is all googly eyed over Keitaro and is going to get him accused of being a pedophile, while the other one is an immature genius that has a forest for a room… that's right a **forest**!"

Keitaro felt a smile tug at his face as his two friends bickered with each other. It felt good to know that they were concerned about him.

"Excuse me?" a feminine voice disrupted the ranting at their table.

It was Naru standing at the foot of the table. "Can I speak to you privately?" she asked Keitaro.

He gave her a questioning look. "No, I don't trust you. Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of my friends."

Naru sighed heavily, "Since we're attending the same cram school, I think that it would be beneficial for both of us if we studied together. We don't have to be friends-- just allies helping each other get into the same college."

A huge opportunity had been presented to Keitaro, the top ranked student in the nation not only lived under the same roof, she was extending an offer to study with him…again. His late study session the night before had been rather disappointing in terms of progression; he needed all the help he could get.

_Obviously she's doing something right to be ranked so high._

However a part of him felt a strong suspicion as to why she was so adamant about studying with him, not to mention he still carried a grudge against her.

_To get to where you need to go, sometimes you have to suck in your pride, I'm not going to get anywhere at the rate I'm going at,_ he thought appeasing his doubts. He would utilize her skills to help him reach his goal, a stepping stone to aide him to the top. _I told myself to grab any opportunity I could, no matter what it was. I'm taking this one._

"All right, Narusegawa, I accept, but I only on one condition. You must seal the hole in your room, before we can begin studying together."

**-------------------------------**

Fourth period: the noise of frantic scribbling pencils filled the room as the students hurried to finish the timed test.

"Three more minutes," Hayate called out, glancing at his wrist watch.

"Ara… excuse me?"

Hayate turned to the woman, welcoming her with a warm smile. "Can I help you?"

She smiled back, handing him an application form. "I'm a student from the Okinawa region and just got transferred into this class."

"Another commuter, huh? I'm not from here either, but it's not as far as Okinawa, that's quite impressive," he said, copying down the information from her form onto the attendance sheet.

"Well it looks you're all set, uhh…" he shot a quick glance at her application. "…Mutsumi is it?"

She nodded.

"Well I'm glad that you've decided to take this class, Mutsumi. By the way, my name is Hayate, I'll be your instructor for this course."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hayate-san" said Mutsumi.

"Please, just call me Hayate; I hate formalities," he scanned the room, searching for open seats. "Ahh…there's one. You can sit over there next to…hmm… I'm still not quite familiar with everyone's names yet… I believe his name is Keitaro."

Upon hearing the teacher call his name; Keitaro looked up, his eyes first on Hayate and then traveling to the woman standing beside the desk…

…their eyes met.

**-------------------------------**


	11. Coincidental Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 10: Coincidental Reunion**

Keitaro's heart skipped a beat. "It's you," he whispered. His dream came rushing back at full force, however this time the body of the promised girl transformed to that of a woman, still clad in the same striped shirt and overalls. When she had finally turned around, the five year old Keitaro gaped at her with wide eyes, it was Mutsumi.

"Everyone put your pencils down. The test is over," Hayate announced.

Keitaro returned to reality to find half of the answer choices on his test still blank. _Damn it, I got distracted. _He quickly bubbled in randomly for the last ten answer choices, before passing his test forward.

"You know her?" asked Haitani.

"Somewhat, we've met before," The dream was still running rampantly through his mind, he fought valiantly to push it out of his thoughts. _I told myself that I wouldn't let myself be bothered by that promise anymore._

Mutsumi reached the table, stopping abruptly. "Do you remember me?" she asked expectantly.

Taken aback by her question, Keitaro gazed up at her, recalling their first encounter. "Of course, I remember you. How could I forget you, Otohime-san?"

"Well… I tend to forget a lot of things myself and I wouldn't have been surprised if you had didn't remember me." Removing the strap over her shoulder, Mutsumi laid her bag under the desk and daintily seated herself in the chair. "I can't believe we're in the same prep class, it's almost like it was fate."

That word had once held great importance to Keitaro, after all **fate** was the reason why he had begun trying for Tokyo U in the first place. The **fated** promise, the **fated** girl he had made the promise to, none of it mattered anymore. "I stopped believing in fate a while ago, I take my life in my own hands."

Mutsumi did not lose her ground, defending her position passively. "But still it's kind of fun to imagine that we are connected to each other by some greater power."

"It may seem fun, but it's a breeding ground for laziness," Keitaro explained. "If you expect fate to throw things into your lap, you're never going to get anywhere. You'll just spend your whole life waiting."

Mutsumi gave him a sagely look. "Maybe those who wait for fate are destined to spend their lives just sitting and waiting."

"I try to avoid thinking that way. If I do something, I want it to because I chose to, not because I was destined to. It makes me feel…" he tried to find the right word.

"Powerless?" she guessed.

Keitaro blinked, "…yeah," she had taken the words right out of his mouth.

Haitani lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry to break up this philosophical discussion but –"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Keitaro cleared his throat, "Otohime-san, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Haitani, and this is my friend Shirai," he pointed each one as he mentioned their name. "And guys…" he turned towards his friends, "…this is Otohime, Mutsumi."

Mutsumi clasped her hands together, flashing a cheery smile. "Oh my, are the both of you in high school?"

Shirai blushed in embarrassment while Haitani promptly face faulted. Keitaro had managed to keep his composure, but barely, he almost ended up joining his friend on the floor.

"Just kidding!" Mutsumi giggled. "I just wanted to see your reactions…" she looked to Keitaro. "I still remember yours, Urashima-kun. You got so mad when I took off your glasses."

"I don't like people touching my glasses."

Mutsumi leaned in towards Keitaro, gazing at him intently. "I didn't mean to offend you, I just wanted to get a better look at your face," she said, speaking with absolute sincerity.

Keitaro felt his heart rate increase dramatically, the close proximity between them making him both nervous and uncomfortable. She was much too close to him, a direct breach of his personal space and although his brain commanded him to get as far away from her as possible, his body did not respond. Keitaro found himself staring into her eyes, mesmerized by an unknown force. His senses were being flooded with such a pleasant aroma, the scent of an older woman.

_Hold on, what am I doing?_ The logical side had finally pounded its message through, forcing Keitaro to reign in his emotions. Her face was merely centimeters apart from his…

_Do __**NOT**__ let __**her**__ come any closer,_ his mind ordered vehemently. At last, Keitaro found the will to react. Afraid that any sudden body movement would cause unwanted contact, he unclenched only the muscles of his jaw allowing himself to speak, his voice engraved with tension.

"Otohime-san, could you back up? You're too close."

Mutsumi, who appeared to be entranced with him as well, immediately backed off, apologizing. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize… I'm so impulsive sometimes."

"I can tell," he replied, visibly calming down after he felt that she was at a safe enough distance.

For the second time, Haitani tapped Keitaro on his shoulder, "Once again, I hate to break up the staring contest, but like I tried to tell you earlier before you interrupted me… in case you haven't noticed, the teacher has been lecturing this entire time."

Indeed, Haitani spoke the truth. Their instructor, Hayate was busily talking away, scribbling key notes on the board.

Yet again, Keitaro felt that he had fallen prey to distraction. His focus always seemed to dwindle when a female was near, first by Naru and now Mutsumi. Having missed the information given during the last few minutes, he attempted to make sense of what Hayate was spouting out.

Mutsumi pulled out a sheet of paper, "That's not good. I'm already behind in this class as it is." She began copying down the notes from the board. Regardless of how ditzy she may have seemed, Mutsumi knew about work ethic, and when it came down to it, she took her class work very seriously.

Though his eyes were fixed upon the instructor, Keitaro's mind was elsewhere. He had been utterly astonished by the vulnerability he had exhibited earlier.

_Why couldn't I do anything? I completely froze up, it felt so weird… I didn't even get angry like I did when Konno tried to get up close to me. I remember, I totally flipped out at her… but with Otohime--_

_--I'm losing focus again! This is getting ridiculous! I have to stop getting distracted! _**Infuriated** at the constant sidetracking of his thoughts, Keitaro put full concentration into the lecture, forgetting everything else around him. From that point forward the only person he saw was Hayate, and the only things he heard were the words coming from his mouth.

**-------------------------------**

Kitsune lazily lounged on the sofa, jerking up as the horse she had bet on pulled up to the front of the pack.

_Come on! Come on! Nooooo, don't fall behind you're almost there! Oh, for the love of… _Frustrated, she thrust her tickets at the television. _That was supposed to help me pay for the rent this month._

"I'm home!"

Kitsune cast a glance towards the lobby. "Shinobu, what are you doing home already, shouldn't you be at school?"

"Umm… the reason that I came home early today is… is because today is a half day."

Kitsune raised a skeptical eyebrow. "So then where's Su?"

Shinobu did not meet her gaze, fidgeting with the straps of her backpack. "She went to check out some parts for one of her latest inventions."

"Uh huh," Kitsune was suspicious about the story, but let the matter drop. She was not Shinobu's mother and did not feel that it was her place to preach to the girl. Besides, she had played hooky regularly back in her days, except she had done it with friends, which made her speculate as to why Shinobu was by herself.

"I'm going to head up to my room--,"

"Hang on a second Shinobu, why don't you hang with me for a bit. We never get to talk anymore," she patted at the space next to her on the sofa.

Putting her backpack off to the side, Shinobu reluctantly walked over to Kitsune, tensely taking her seat next to the older woman.

Kitsune noticed her obvious discomfort. "What's wrong? You look like you'd rather be anywhere else than here. You mad at me or something?"

"No, no, no it's nothing like that," Shinobu flustered, before going silent again._ Kitsune can probably help me, maybe I should tell her… it's starting to become more and more frequent._ She opened her mouth to speak-

"You remember the night when we had to switch rooms?" Kitsune said suddenly.

"Huh? I mean yes."

"That was some experience wasn't it? It was so weird in Naru's room, books piled upon books. Everywhere I looked there was another textbook. Doesn't she have a life?"

"Was it really like that?" Shinobu asked intrigued, forgetting about what she had wanted to tell Kitsune.

"Yeah, it was ridiculous, but it was nothing compared to Su's room. A night in that jungle? It's no wonder Su always sleeps with Motoko. You should have seen how Naru looked after spending a night in there. It was like she had been on some sort of nature expedition."

Shinobu stifled a laugh.

This was not lost on Kitsune, who caught on to Shinobu's lightening mood. "What can I say? When you're living in Hinata Sou, these kinds of things are to be expected." Now came the tricky part, she would need to be crafty about this, "So how was ol' Motoko's room like? Was it the way you imagined?"

"Sort of, there were scrolls, her kendo training equipment and there was a suit of armor--," Shinobu instantly halted, a look of uneasiness crossing her features.

_Now we're getting somewhere._ "A suit of armor, what was it like?"

"I can't…"

"Come on, you can tell me," Kitsune moved closer to her. "What did you see?"

"I didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to what?"

Shinobu did not answer.

Her silence made Kitsune more determined than ever to find out what had happened. She put a consoling arm around Shinobu's shoulder. "We're practically family, you don't have to hide anything from me," she assured the younger girl.

Feeling guilty about what she had done, Shinobu could not bottle it in any longer. "I never meant to read through her novel, it's just that I never thought that Motoko would write, she's always been against romance and love so when I saw the title my curiosity got the better of me, and before I realized it I read through it, and it was actually good but so unlike her…"

"Whoa slow down there kiddo, tell me what happened from the beginning."

Shinobu told her everything, giving a detailed account as Kitsune listened on, soaking it all in. After she finished, Kitsune sat motionless for a few moments, completely astounded.

_A romance novel, written by… __**Motoko**_

Shinobu could have told her that Motoko was a bloodsucking vampire, and it still would not have shocked her as much as this. It raised so many questions. When had Motoko started writing? Why did she stop? How could the self proclaimed hater of men write a novel about falling in love with a man? Had she been hiding behind a mask all along?

The quiet and stoic swordswoman would rarely display any signs of emotion, never betraying what was going on inside her head. Kitsune could read all the other residents, but with Motoko, she was only able to speculate. The only thing she had garnered after all the years she had known Motoko was she loved kendo, virtually training at any chance she got, always babbling on about the way of the samurai and whatnot. Other than that, the only other significant aspect of Motoko was her renouncing of men. Kitsune had always wondered about that, at one time believing Motoko to be a lesbian.

However, due to the recent knowledge Kitsune had just acquired, this was definitely not the case. Yet again, there was another new predicament; Kitsune could not complain though, the drama added spice to her otherwise dull days. This was huge news, putting Motoko into an entirely new light.

_You think you know a person…_

Gradually, Kitsune began to come into terms with the bombshell.

_Even after all her big talk, she's just another hormonally imbalanced teenager writing about her fantasies. So we've got another writer in the house, looks like I've got some competition._

The distinct ringing of the phone resonated through the building.

Shinobu suddenly jumped. "I'll get it," she declared scrambling to the outside of the kitchen.

Kitsune watched her run off. _What's her rush? Is she expecting a call? _She grabbed the television remote when she saw the tickets she had thrown earlier, lying on the floor. Grudgingly, she picked them up; bunching them in her hands when one of the tickets caught her attention. _Hey, I don't remember betting on this horse… hey, didn't this one win?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Shinobu. "Kitsune?"

"Yeah? Is the call for me?"

"No."

"What is it then?" Kitsune asked looking up.

Shinobu had gone completely pale. "The person on the phone… I think it's a stalker."

**-------------------------------**

At the left end portion of the elongated desks, four students sat bunched together in a group with Shirai and Keitaro sitting on one side, and Mutsumi and Haitani sitting directly across from them. For the past half hour, they had been effectively solving the practice problems assigned to them; however this latest question was exceptionally challenging, leaving them stumped.

"Suppose if you tried this method?" Haitani suggested.

Shirai checked calculations and shook his head. "That doesn't work, I already tried it."

"Are you positive you read the **entire** question?" asked Keitaro.

"Ara, I think I got it!" Mutsumi exclaimed.

"How'd you do it Mutsumi?" Haitani inquired.

"Okay, if you take the integral of the function…"

From across the room, Naru watched them enviously. Here she was, the topped ranked student in the nation and no one wanted to work with her. After all those years she had spent studying alone, class seemed incredibly dreary by herself, especially with all the people around her sitting in groups talking and joking with each other as they worked.

Her attention resumed to the group of four. The new girl with them had particularly sparked her curiosity; apparently, she knew the manager on a sociable basis, which was more than what she could say for herself. None of the tenants knew much about Keitaro and with her curiosity demanding to be satisfied, Naru almost considered approaching them.

_What the hell am I thinking? That would be so awkward. I don't even know any of them, and __**he **__doesn't count._

Naru had never been a very outgoing person, but it had never mattered in the past. Back in high school people had always come up to her, especially the boys. She remembered having to repeatedly ask Kitsune to turn them down for her, much to the chagrin of her fox-eyed friend. However, the vast amount of individuals she turned away had not bothered Naru.

After she had made the promise to Seta to get into Tokyo U, she had opted to study instead of going out and socializing with friends. Unfortunately for her, the so called 'charm' that she had possessed in high school had long worn off and as the people –the boys in particular- matured, they lost interest in Naru, moving on with their lives. As for Seta, he had disappeared two years ago, leaving for overseas without even so much as a farewell.

Shifting her gaze away from the manager and his group, Naru sighed heavily, feeling bored out of her mind. _This is pathetic. I've got to finish my 'group' work._

On the other side of the room, approximately forty feet away, Mutsumi had just finished explaining her solution to the question.

"That's incredibly close, but you forgot about the intervals," Shirai stated scanning her paper.

"Oh, you're right," Mutsumi began erasing her calculations.

The ring of the bell sounded, signaling the end of the class. On cue, the students all began to rise from their desks, packing up their belongings. The rustling noises of nylon bags being zipped open and closed permeated throughout the area.

"I want you all to finish the practice problems for homework, we'll go over them next time," Hayate called out as the students filed out.

As Keitaro stood up to leave, Mutsumi gently tugged on his sleeve. "Can you wait for me? I have to use the restroom."

"Huh…?" Caught by surprise at the question, Keitaro did not register it at first; he had automatically assumed that they would end up parting ways after class. _She still wants to stay with me?_ he internally pondered for a second, before realizing that he had not replied yet. "If you want me to… we'll be outside."

Mutsumi gave him a smile, heading off to the restroom while a mildly disoriented Keitaro resumed his path into the hall and met up with Haitani, who had gone on ahead.

"Where are you going next?"

"Home… I mean Hinata Sou, why you want to do something?"

"Can't, I've got work."

Keitaro glanced over his shoulder. "Where's Shirai?"

"Oh great," Haitani slapped his forehead. "I'll bet you anything that he went to go ask the teacher how to solve the problem."

They sat down on a bench just in front of the building, waiting for Mutsumi and apparently Shirai as well. There was a large oak tree behind them, its branches arching above their heads, providing cool shade from the beating sun. Keitaro absently surveyed the courtyard, his eyes darting expectantly toward the front entrance from time to time.

"So what's the deal between you and Mutsumi?" Haitani finally asked.

"There is no deal."

"How are you going to say that after you two almost made out in the middle of class?"

Keitaro honestly did not understand he meant. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay, I'm probably wrong and I don't think you realized it, but the way you were looking at her when she got close to you, it looked like you wanted her to kiss you."

"No," Keitaro craned his neck to face Haitani, "Did I seriously--?"

"You guys, I can't believe the answer was so simple," Shirai exclaimed, approaching them, "It was definitely one of those thinking out of the box questions, I would have never guessed it," he went on to explain the solution, effectively putting an end to the conversation that had been taking place moments before.

Shortly thereafter, Mutsumi joined them, and they set off for the train station, which was a relatively quick walk. Keitaro wanted to question Haitani further, but with the presence of Mutsumi, he decided to put it off. Upon reaching the train station, they talked about the class, while waiting for their trains to arrive.

"Hey, Keitaro," Haitani whispered nudging him. "There's that one girl that asked to study with you."

Keitaro looked down the terminal, spotting Naru on one of the benches, reading a book. She seemed absorbed with her novel, giving no sign that she was aware to anyone else's presence. Keitaro observed her impassively for a few moments longer, before his attention was drawn away by a train loudly coming to an abrupt halt in the station. The doors opened up, allowing the passengers to disembark. This was the train to his hometown, which meant--

"That's our ride," Haitani said walking off.

"See you Keitaro, it was nice meeting you Mutsumi," Shirai bade them farewell.

Mutsumi waved to them as the train departed. "They're nice."

Keitaro smirked. "So which train are you taking?"

"The one to Hinata City, I'm renting an apartment there."

"We'll be taking the same train then…wait, I distinctly recall the last time we met, that you didn't go on the train for Hinata City."

"Oh, that," Mutsumi laughed embarrassed. "Right after the train pulled out, I realized that I was supposed to be on it. I ended up waiting for another hour for the next one. I'm like a magnet for bad things."

"I've had worse happen," Keitaro stared off into space as if having a flashback, unaware that his tone had suddenly darkened.

Mutsumi looked at him worriedly, and tried to change the subject. "Maybe I'll be able to visit Hinata Sou, if it's close enough."

"If you want to," he said in a faraway voice.

Not wanting to pry him about what was wrong, she tried again. "Did you like the watermelon I gave you?"

"I gave it to my aunt and never had the pleasure of tasting it, but I'd like to thank you again for it."

"I can give you another one if you want," Mutsumi reached into her bag.

The thought of having to carry another giant watermelon on the train snapped him out of his reminiscence. "No, no that's perfectly all right. It's the thought that counts. Besides, I'm going to have to owe you."

"You're company is enough."

Sitting on a bench a ways off, Naru may have appeared to be deeply engrossed with her book, but in truth she had been closely watching on ever since they had entered the terminal, taking mental notes. Though she was out of hearing range, she could certainly hypothesize as to what was being said between Keitaro and the mysterious new woman from prep class.

When the next train came into the terminal, Naru saw her two subjects head towards it. Figuring that this was the train to Hinata City, Naru got up as well, swiftly striding through the crowd. As soon as she was inside, Naru found literally every seat taken except for one last open seat in the back. Showing no hesitation, she quickly seized it. The ride home was an hour long, and with how tired her body felt, she had no interest in ending up having to stand. When Naru had finally seated herself, she spotted the **woman** sitting five rows up.

_But if she's there, then where's…_

Naru searched around, discovering Keitaro at the front end of the train, staring pensively out the window, his hand gripping onto one of the handles jutting down from the ceiling. For the duration of the trip he hardly moved a muscle, his eyes never leaving the window.

An hour later, when they disembarked at Hinata train station, Naru caught sight of the woman and Keitaro together. She overheard the woman mention something about her apartment, Keitaro nodded and they went off in another direction.

_She didn't ask him to come to her apartment to…_ her eyes widened, Naru was about to shadow them, until she realized what she was thinking.

_Why should I care what he does with her? I don't even know him, _she told herself as she walked through the streets. The strange thing was, it did bother her and she could not figure out why. Eventually, she reached the top of the steps of Hinata Sou and opened the front door.

"Is that you again, Shinobu? I told you before, there's nothing to worry about," a hand lazily rose from behind the sofa.

"Kitsune!" Naru dashed into the living room.

"Oh, Naru, you're back."

Naru immediately dove into the events that had transpired. "Kitsune, the manager is one of the students in my prep class, and I got him to agree to study with me."

"Really?" Kitsune perked up. "I mean that's a good thing, but how?"

"I'm not sure, I just asked him during lunch and he agreed as long as I seal the hole in my room, but there's more. You're never going to believe this---"

_Believe me, after the things I heard today, nothing's going to catch me off guard_. "Try me."

Kitsune found herself to be sorely mistaken as Naru went on to describe the mysterious new woman from her class, and the relationship between the woman and the manager.

"… and she asked him to go to her apartment."

Kitsune nearly jumped off the couch in excitement. "Oh my God! They're about to get it--" she was silenced by Naru's hand over her mouth. The auburn haired woman stared past her with a horrified expression.

Kitsune turned around too, discovering Keitaro walking into the lobby, a giant watermelon held in his grasp. He did not acknowledge them, and proceeded up the stairs, effectively disappearing into his room.

"Done already? He must be one of those one minute men," Kitsune snickered. "And what's with that melon, did he--"

"Be serious, Kitsune!" Naru hissed. Even though she initially had the same assumption as the fox woman, Keitaro had returned much too soon, in fact Naru had only come in a few minutes beforehand.

"Okay, okay look, just get that hole fixed so we can finally initiate Operation Sabotage..."

Naru rolled her eyes at the name.

"… as for that woman, there's no need to be angry about it."

"I'm not angry!"

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I detected a hint of jealousy in you voice," she grinned playfully.

Naru growled irritably. "You're always instigating something!"

"What can I say? I'm in a good mood," Kitsune pulled out a ticket stub, gleaming with pride.

Naru looked at her incredulously. "You mean you actually won?"

"And I'm going to Haruka's shop for a little drink to celebrate. You want to come with?"

"Count me out, I know all to well what you mean by a **little **drink. A couple of hours from now, I'll see Haruka dragging you up the stairs."

Kitsune still needed more money if she wanted to cover the rent and she was feeling lucky. "You want to bet on that?"

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro let out an exasperated sigh, rolling the large green fruit into the corner behind his desk. Mutsumi had insisted on giving him another watermelon, and for some reason he had not been able to find it within himself to refuse her.

Mutsumi's apartment, as it turned out, happened to be right across from a certain playground. Keitaro had shrugged it off as a coincidence, though it almost felt as if fate was beckoning to him. Being in the vicinity of the playground had put him at great unease, causing him to depart from the area moments later, moving at a quick pace to get away from it as fast as possible.

_Why did I go in the first place? _he wondered, tossing the clothes he had worn from the previous days into a basket. Despite his denials, he had been unconsciously hoping that Mutsumi would say something about the promise she had referred to from their previous encounter at Tokyo U.

A loud hammering noise emanated from above. Looking up at the ceiling, toward the direction of the hole, he found three wooden planks in place of where the wooden board had once been.

_That's one less problem to deal with, _hemused as the hammering continued.

He threw in the last article of clothing into the basket and checked the blueprints for the location of the laundry room. Due to the time constraint his mother had laid on him when she had ordered him to leave the house, he had been unable to pack a decent amount of clothing. Many of his garments were still left at home, but they were as good as gone, he harbored no delusions of going back to retrieve them. Nothing would make him set foot in that wretched house ever again.

_Ah, here it is!_ he mentally exclaimed keeping his finger on the blueprints for a second longer. After understanding the arrangement, he hauled his basket out of his room and continued down the hall, finally setting it down as he came upon the door to the laundry room.

He slid open the door. "Oh, it's you, Maehara-san," he had not expected to run into anyone.

A slightly startled Shinobu managed to find her voice. "Are you doing your laundry too?"

Keitaro nodded to Shinobu, who was standing on the other side of room, picking her clothes out of the washing machine. He did a double take to make sure the door was wide open, before heaving the basket onto the table, instinctively staying near the open entrance.

He began to sort out his clothes, coming upon a soaked white colored shirt. "Maehara-san, would you happen to have any stain removers?"

"What's your shirt stained with?"

"Blood," he blurted out without thinking.

"W-what!" she unsuccessfully tried to stifle a gasp.

Keitaro almost slapped himself, realizing what he had just revealed "There's nothing to worry about, it's just a small stain--"

"Can I please see it?" she asked walking over to him.

Whether Keitaro liked it or not, it was far too late for him to take back his words. He held up the shirt, in his hands.

Shinobu rubbed her thumb against the cloth; over half of it was shaded with light crimson. "Is this from when Motoko-sempai…?" She realized what she was doing, literally jumping back in embarrassment at how intimate her gesture had seemed, at least to her.

Keitaro ignored her sudden reflex. "So do you have anything that can clean it?"

She shook her head, still feeling slightly embarrassed. "There's nothing I can do… sorry."

A wave of guilt passed through her. When had everything become so complicated? Until now, she had always taken everything to face value, never thinking that there was anything beyond. However, recently she had begun to see nothing was as clear cut as it had once seemed. She idolized Naru and Motoko, but now she was not sure if they were as established as she had thought they were. There were so many complications in between, who was she to judge what was right and what was wrong?

That was why she had not protested against Kitsune's Operation Sabotage. She knew that there was a real possibility that they would all be evicted if Keitaro was accepted to Tokyo U, nevertheless, she also realized that what they were doing could greatly jeopardize his future. She felt that it was best to let the older residents take care of it. They had probably known for years what she had only just begun to understand. But even though she felt it was not her place to make any decisions, perhaps she could help create some peace, however menial it may be.

"Manager-san, would you like to join us for dinner?"


	12. Downpour

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**Chapter 11: Downpour**

"Come on, Kitsune, we're almost there," Haruka chided as she tried to move to the next stair step, only to be held back.

"It's so far," a drunken Kitsune complained. Her right arm war draped around Haruka's shoulder, using the older woman as a crutch to help support her weight.

Taking a long drag of her cigarette, Haruka let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm starting to lose my patience, if you don't move in the next two seconds I'm going to drop you."

"Alright, alright," Kitsune stumbled forward, causing Haruka to put forth maximum effort to keep the intoxicated fox from falling flat on her face.

"You really need to learn to establish a limit."

"I just wanted one more! It's been so long since my last drink."

"It's been **two** days," Haruka clarified before realizing that her voice was falling on deaf ears. Kitsune had stayed until closing time at the café and would have stayed even longer if Haruka had not forced her out.

They continued up to Hinata Sou, taking on one tedious step after another. The few outdoor lamps illuminated their path, giving a somewhat limited vision in the dark of the night. Haruka looked up at the sky and saw clouds beginning to gather, slowly blocking the view of the stars. _It's going to rain tomorrow,_ she noted before her attention was pulled back to Kitsune, who had stumbled again.

"Hey Haruka, how come I never see you talking with any guys?" Kitsune asked with a teasing smile, "I'll bet it's been ages since you got laid."

Haruka let the comment slide because of Kitsune's state of mind, but not without a threat. At long last they made inside the dormitory and upon entering they were greeted with a delicious scent wafting through the air.

"To the kitchen!" Kitsune commanded, pointing forward.

Haruka inwardly groaned, helping Kitsune into the kitchen and set her down at the dining table. Shinobu was still cooking at the stove, checking to make sure everything was running smoothly before she turned around to greet them.

The scent added with the sight of dinner was really starting to look appealing to Haruka. "Mind if I stay for dinner, Shinobu?"

"Of course not," Shinobu replied. "I'll set an extra plate. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes," she returned to the stove.

"Hey Haruka, did your nephew ever fix that loophole?" Kitsune piped up.

The café owner regarded her curiously. "What loophole?"

"After my room got trashed because of his room swap arrangement…" Kitsune gesticulated lazily. "…he came back later and gave me money in order to pay for any damages that might have happened. The only reason he did it was because it's the landlord's responsibility to cover for it. He said that he would fix the loophole so that he wouldn't have to be liable for that kind of stuff."

Haruka vaguely felt that this whole story had been fabricated and was a result of too much alcohol in the bloodstream. Nevertheless, she decided to explain anyway since Kitsune seemed serious.

"I don't know where you heard that, Kitsune. There's no rule that holds the landlord responsible for damages or stolen items from a tenant's room. Renting a room at Hinata Sou is like renting an apartment. You're accountable for your possessions and bring them here at your own risk."

"Huh? So what are you saying?" Kitsune asked incredulously.

_She's obviously had a little too much to drink,_ Haruka thought wryly, before explaining one more time. "Basically what that means is that the landlord, my nephew, has **no obligation** to pay you, the tenant, for any damages that happened in your room."

Haruka left the kitchen, not seeing the astonished expression on Kitsune's face. She briefly considered checking up on Keitaro when another idea occurred to her. She walked into common room and approached a small unmarked storage closet unlocking the slim the door with a key. Behind the slim door lay an assortment of briefcases and huge stacks of legal papers. Haruka pulled out a manila envelope, tucking it into her apron as she closed the door, locking it. When she returned to the kitchen she found it occupied with the rest of the tenants. Giving them a wordless nod, she took the chair next to Motoko, waiting for Shinobu to finish setting the plates on the table.

Su immediately caught on to a discrepancy between the number of plates and the number of people. "Hey, Shinobu, why is there another extra plate here? Am I getting double servings?"

The sound of footsteps caused everyone at the kitchen table to turn around, thus answering Su's question. Their manager, Keitaro, was standing under the threshold.

"There's a place for you over there, Manager-san," Shinobu said quietly.

"Thank you, Maehara-san," Keitaro walked around the table and sat down on the empty chair next to Motoko. The swordswoman stiffened, but said nothing, keeping her gaze locked forward. Her hand had darted to the side of her hip, dangling in empty air for a few seconds before she realized what she was doing and brought it back up to the table.

"So you've finally decided to grace us with your presence," drawled Kitsune.

Keitaro smirked. "Of course, you don't expect me to starve, do you?"

Su was beginning to grow impatient, annoyed that everyone was just sitting there when there so much food in front of them. The presence of Keitaro might have meant that there would be less for her to eat. However, other than that she found no reason to be stupefied by his presence.

"Can we eat already?"

Finally the others started moving, placing the food onto their plates. Kitsune had needed a little help from Naru to get her food, her hand eye coordination being a bit off at the moment. No sound was made except for the noise of their utensils, a deafening silence hanging in the air.

Keitaro could sense the tenants scrutinizing every bite he took, gawking as if they had never seen a man eat before. They instantly averted their eyes when he looked up to grab his glass of water, giving him a mundane satisfaction of having caught them. As he began drinking, Keitaro's attention attracted to Su, who was devouring her food at a feverish pace, easily on her third or fourth plate. From what he saw, she clearly had an extremely fast metabolism, burning so much energy due to her hyperactive persona. What if the vast quantities of food she consumed aided in fueling her intellectual capabilities? It made sense, brain power did require energy which was be provided by food-- but Keitaro could only guess.

"You should try some of this dish, Manager-san; it's one of my specialties," Shinobu offered, wishing to ease the tense atmosphere.

"I'll give it a taste," Keitaro extended his arm toward the platter, grasping the serving spoon. Just as he was about to lift it, a smooth feminine hand bumped against his own, causing him to lose his grip on the spoon.

"What the hell?" he frowned in confusion, turning to his right and saw Motoko's arm snap back as if bitten, a fierce blush accompanying her mortified expression.

Instantly, Keitaro's face contorted in anger, and he hissed sharply, "Don't ever touch me…" he was about to attach the word 'again' at the end of his statement but that would have made it seem like he had forgiven her for doing it this time. He wanted to make it crystal clear to her that it **was** and never **would** be okay for her to do something like that.

Motoko was at a complete loss at her sudden lapse in judgment. She had seen Keitaro reach for the plate, and her brain must have registered this, because it was the one thing she had been trying to steer clear of. Yet somehow she had blanked out for an instant and the next thing she knew, her hand had collided into his.

Furthermore, she did not recall any valid reason for reaching her hand out in the first place. She still had plenty of food on her plate, and almost never ate seconds anyway to help maintain a healthy diet.

The swordswoman looked down at the offending hand, which was now residing beside her hip in the location of where her sword would have been, if she had been carrying it.

_What has come over me! The close proximity between him and I… was it really bothering me this much? Everyone is staring at me… even __**him**_ it was that thought that broke the final straw, she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks again. Not being able to take it anymore, she stood up to leave when someone gripped her arm.

"Its okay, Motoko: calm down," Haruka placidly stated, retaining a firm hold on Motoko. "Calm down," she repeated.

Even if she had wanted to Motoko could not have broken free. Feeling humiliated -and now intimidated by Haruka- she sat back down, willing herself to stay put, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to leave.

_I look like a complete fool right now. Haruka-san is right. I must get a hold of myself._ Her heart was pounding so hard that she was afraid that the others could hear it.

Slowly, she picked up her fork and began eating again, taking great pains to look anywhere except to the person left of her, Haruka was sitting to her right.

Kitsune grinned, finding Motoko's behavior very amusing. It was one of those rare times that she had actually seen some sort of emotion on that normally placid face. _Classic symptoms… Who would have thought that Motoko would be so nervous, just because a guy is sitting next to her? Poor girl, she's gotten so clumsy all of a sudden. _

After the little incident, the silence resumed, worse than ever and Kitsune began waving her fork restlessly. The silence was beginning to wear thin on her, especially when the alcohol had put her in such a playful mood. Naru, who was seated beside her, saw Kitsune's gaze fix onto Keitaro and recognized the fox like smile that graced her features. It was a smile that Naru knew all to well.

"You should invite your girlfriend to come over next time," she said to Keitaro.

Naru nearly jumped, _Dammit, Kitsune! No!_ She wanted to shut Kitsune up, but before she could do anything, Keitaro replied.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked calmly, albeit guardedly.

"Oh you know… the one from your cram school," Kitsune explained casually.

Naru saw Keitaro's eyes flicker in her direction for a split instant, but it was long enough for her to understand what he wanted to say, the look on his eyes practically screamed the word 'pervert'.

This interesting piece of information about their manager shifted the attention of the residents onto Keitaro and Kitsune, and even Haruka paused. All the tenants were curious one way or another since none of them really knew much about him in the first place.

"There's no need to hide it if you're going to her apartment after class for some **fun** time," Kitsune said winking.

"Why would you assume that it's sexual?" Keitaro bluntly inquired.

"What were you doing then?"

"That is not your business."

Kitsune gave him a knowing look. "Well then, what else can you expect me to imagine?"

"Umm… there are middle schoolers present, I don't think--" Naru started hoping to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"She is my **friend**," Keitaro stated decisively to Kitsune.

"A friend with benefits?" Kitsune asked impishly.

"Don't listen to what she says; she's drunk," Naru interjected again in another attempt to kill the subject.

"That's no excuse," Keitaro retorted.

Kitsune was not done yet either. "What's her name?" she persisted.

"There's no point in telling someone like you who has never set foot in anything past a high school," Keitaro replied. "And I'm going to reiterate this again one last time. What I do in my personal life is **my** business. None of you—"

The sound of the phone ringing ended all aspects of the conversation. A hint of fear passed through Shinobu, but she felt much safer in the presence of everyone around her. The phone continued to ring, indicating that whoever was on the other line was determined not to hang up.

"I think you should answer the phone," Kitsune suggested to Keitaro, her voice was still slightly slurred, but her expression was actually somber now. "Shinobu answered the phone earlier today, and we think that there might be someone watching the place."

Keitaro's attention turned to Shinobu who nodded meekly and explained. "When I picked up the phone, the person kept on breathing deeply and they wouldn't hang up, they just kept on panting like they were possessed or something."

For the first time since dinner had began, Motoko spoke up, making sure her gaze did not stray to the left. "The same thing happened to me yesterday when I answered the phone. I merely thought it to be a wrong number. However, if this has been recurring… for all we know there is a pervert stalking the grounds."

_I'll assume that she's referring to a 'male' pervert. What is with her? _Keitaro looked at her skeptically, before glancing behind her toward his aunt.

"What do you think, Haruka?"

"You're the manager. It's your job to check it out."

"Then I guess I'll check it out," Keitaro replied casually. He stood up and left the kitchen, making his way over to the phone. That constant infernal ringing was starting to give him a headache.

Keitaro picked up the phone, and put it up to his ear. "Hello?"

True to what Motoko and Shinobu had claimed, the caller did not respond in words, opting instead let out shallow breaths that gradually became deeper.

"Who the hell is this?" Keitaro asked, growing agitated. He was not in the mood for some bored idiot's little games.

There was a sudden gasp on the other line followed by some faint rustling. Keitaro impatiently waited for a response. This was getting old fast.

Finally, a hoarse whisper croaked out, "O-_onii_-chan?"

The phone was slammed down on the receiver so fast that Keitaro did not even consciously realize it until a second later. His reaction had been out of pure impulse, there was no thought processing involved, no delving on why his sister would have called in the first place... but he was asking himself that question now.

_She knows I'm here, but how?_ And then it struck him again. _**Kanako**__ knows I'm here._

What if she called again? What would he do then? For the next ten minutes, he stood fixated on the spot, staring at the phone like it was set off to explode at any second. Thankfully the phone did not ring again.

As he walked back to the kitchen, he warily gazed around the building as if expecting someone to jump out at him at any moment. He came to a halt when he reached the threshold and immediately the eyes of everyone gravitated toward him, this time expectantly unlike when he had first entered.

He found himself inwardly hesitating, not knowing exactly what it was that he was supposed to say. _You're the manager, Keitaro: it's your responsibility to tell them something,_ he told himself. Finally he came to a decision and spoke.

"These prank calls that have been coming for the past days were nothing more than the doings of a… there is no pervert…." he glanced at Motoko who was staring at the tabletop. "… However, I would still advise that you remain cautious and careful; you should always do that anyway. I don't think we'll be getting any strange calls anymore… I think the caller got what they wanted."

He looked towards Shinobu, "Thank you for the dinner, Maehara-san, but I've lost my appetite."

Keitaro's expression suddenly became inexplicably grim before he turned around and left.

"So… should we be cautious of someone stalking on the grounds or not?" asked Naru.

Unfortunately, nobody had an answer to give to her.

**-------------------------------**

Sometime after dinner, Haruka ventured up the stairs to the manager's suite. "Keitaro, it's Haruka," she said knocking on the door. "I'm coming in."

"Okay!" his voice sounded from inside.

Haruka slid open the door, and entered his room, she was greeted by a familiar scent that she had grown accustomed to over the years…tobacco.

Keitaro was absorbed in his work, showing more fervor than ever. "Let me just finish this one," he said, when he realized the cigarette that was still dangling from his mouth, and the person whom he had taken it from was standing right in front of him. He quickly snubbed out the cancer stick, throwing it under some papers even though it was far too late at hiding it.

"What can I do for you, Haruka?" he asked, weary of having been caught.

Much to his relief Haruka said nothing about on the matter and simply sat down across from him, getting straight down to business. "Your parents aren't going to pay for your cram school tuition fees this year."

"I figured as much," Keitaro replied. "But the wages I receive for being landlord of Hinata Sou should help cover it."

"I thought you might say that, so it's time to discuss the finances of this place." Haruka brought out a manila folder, taking out a small stack of papers and handing them to Keitaro. "You do receive a salary for being the active landlord. However, you don't receive payment until the rent gets collected."

"And when is that?"

"Rent is collected on the first of every month, so next week."

Keitaro began examining the documents. "Granny is pretty lenient with the rent price, it's much lower than I would have expected, but it's not that bad."

"That's not your net salary," Haruka corrected. "You've still got to subtract out the costs for housing maintenance, electricity, gas, water and groceries. Plus you take away fifty percent of that which goes directly to Granny Hina as the owner," she guided him through the paperwork.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Keitaro spat. "I'll never make it on such a low income."

Haruka merely shrugged. "I can't do anything about it. Everything is in Granny Hina's hands. At least you've got a place to stay."

"I'm going to have to find a job."

"I would hire you at the café, but my budget's tight right now and I can't afford to hire anyone."

"That's alright, Haruka; I can do this on my own."

Haruka could see the resolve etched on his face. "Well Keitaro, best of luck to you on your job hunting," she said smiling.

Keitaro smiled back. "Thanks."

"You know, I was kind of surprised to see you actually show up for dinner. Did you know I wasn't going to be at the café tonight?"

"Actually no, Maehara invited me. She was the only one with the decency to ask."

"Have you been waiting this whole time for one of them to invite you?"

"I'm the manager here, and I'll eat wherever and whenever I damn well please," Keitaro replied a little too hotly.

Haruka arched an eyebrow. "If you say so."

Her mention of dinner and reminded Keitaro of the phone conversation he had had with his sister, if one could even call it a conversation. His eyes narrowed, darkening his expression and his fists began to clench under the table.

"… It was Kanako."

It took a few moments for Haruka to realize what he was talking about. "She's the one that's been making the calls?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell the residents?"

"This has nothing to do with them, I don't want them involved. I'm not even sure if she's even actually here or not… I have no idea when it comes to her," he let out a beaten sigh. "Can you keep an eye out, Haruka?"

"What are you going to do?"

His voice came out bitter and his fists clenched even tighter, his knuckles going white. "I have no intention of hiding. Kanako's always prided herself in being clever and cunning, but if she's really smart she'll stay away. I **will** get the message through to her… one way or another."

_Poor kid, everyone seems to want to bring out the bastard in you,_ Haruka mentally grimaced. She of course knew the whole story between him and Kanako. Keitaro had told her everything when he had first arrived.

"I'll keep a lookout; I've got your back, Keitaro," Haruka assured, pointing her thumb in her direction, getting Keitaro to halfheartedly smile at her gesture. "Oh and by the way, when you do get hired, don't forget to pay me back."

"Pay you back for what?"

"The cigarette carton of course."

**-------------------------------**

"You should start getting ready for bed, Su," Motoko suggested, dragging out the second futon she kept out of the closet.

When Motoko received no reply she looked up. "Su, are you listening?"

The foreign girl nodded enthusiastically, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Well then… do you plan on doing it today?" Motoko inquired.

"Why did you act so weird during dinner?"

Motoko's face slightly reddened, embarrassed by the question. Su had brought up the exact question that she had been asking herself. It must have been because she did not have Shisui; she had fallen susceptible to Keitaro because her sword had been absent from her being. Without it she had lost focus on the one and only thing that had mattered, her training, because one day she would take over the God's Cry School and if she allowed Keitaro to distract her…

Su tipped forward, cart wheeling over to Motoko, stopping just in front of the swordswoman. "Did you like touching him?" she questioned innocently.

"Of course not!" Motoko defended vehemently. "How can you say such a thing?"

"You're blushing again!" Su sang, running behind Motoko and jumping onto her back. "Why are you blushing then, huh?"

"I am not!" Motoko retorted, struggling a little bit with Su, who turned out to have quite a grip on her.

"You are too!" Su began rubbing her cheek with Motoko's. "Your cheeks are so warm! It tingles!"

"Ack—stop that, Su!" Motoko ordered, her blush getting worse.

Su finally hopped off, prancing about laughing while a flustered Motoko recomposed herself.

"Okay, Su," Motoko put on a stern face. "You've had your fun: now, it's time for bed."

"Actually Motoko, I think I'll sleep in my own room," Su replied stretching out her arms.

Motoko gazed at Su for a couple of seconds wondering if this was another joke, however the smile on Su's face was not playful. "Are you sure about this? You've never slept alone before and I don't think it's a good idea. There's a pervert wandering around these parts and your room is the only one on the first floor."

"I can handle it. I just finished installing a new security system since Naru broke my old one."

_When did Naru do that?_ Motoko wondered when the answer came to her. _It must have been during the room exchange which was set up by him... _Her expression darkened. "It's because of **him**, isn't it? He's brought this upon you. Su don't let him force you--"

"I'm not a baby, Motoko," Su's demeanor had changed; she was serious. "Even Shinobu sleeps by herself."

"But…"

"Times are changing, Motoko: you've got to keep up with the flow or you'll be left behind," Su broke into a smile, any sign of her previous attitude completely dissipating. "Good night Motoko, I'll see you in the morning!" she called out, jumping out of her room.

Motoko slowly began to roll up the futon that she had set up for Su and placed it back into the closet. She solemnly gazed down at the empty space where the futon had been and then at the empty wooden stand, where her sword was supposed to be.

_I don't want things to change, Su._

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro did not get much sleep that night, his thoughts bogged down by recent events, so he did what he had been doing for the past few nights: study until he could not stay awake any longer. He managed to attain a few hours of blessed sleep before being awoken by the sound of his alarm clock.

Even though there was there was no prep school, time was of the essence and it was not something he had the luxury to waste. After a quick bath, he donned on his suit, congratulating himself at having enough sense to buy two, and made his way down to the kitchen for breakfast.

His attire drew curious looks form Kitsune and Naru, but they did not ask. He probably would not have told anyway. Both of them were speculating along the same lines though… was he going to go visit that woman?

"Where are the other three?" Keitaro questioned.

"School," Naru replied. "There're some leftovers from breakfast, Shinobu made sure that we'd tell you."

Keitaro took a seat on the opposite side of the table, bringing the container toward him. The silence was awkward, but not tense.

"By the way," Keitaro said after taking one last bite. "I haven't created a schedule for the household tasks yet, but that doesn't mean they can't be done. Since the both of you are home, you'll get a head start. Check out the hot springs and make sure that you clean the outdoor bath. I'll inspect it when I get back."

Keitaro departed from the dormitory and toured through Hinata City, his eyes on the lookout for any 'Now Hiring' or 'Help Wanted' signs. He was unable to find any, but that did not deter him.

_It doesn't hurt to go inside and ask, the worse they can say is… no._

The first shop he walked into was filled with a wide array of trinkets lining the shelves. He approached the front desk where an old woman stood watching him as he came closer.

"Excuse me," Keitaro began, making sure to have eye contact, his voice polite and businesslike. "I am looking for a job, are you hiring?"

"No."

This was the first of many no's that Keitaro would hear throughout the course of going from shop to shop, one after the other. Most were not looking to hire anyone, but the ones that were all told him that he did not fit the qualifications they were searching for in a person.

In due time, Keitaro came across a Ramen restaurant and decided to try there. It was relatively small, with only a couple of tables. Nevertheless there was quite a crowd and two chefs were working furiously behind the counter.

"Excuse me!" Keitaro called out to get their attention.

"What'll you have?" asked one of the chefs.

"I'm looking for a job, are you hiring?"

"No, we're not."

"Are you sure? You look like you could really use some extra help."

"We could use some help, but you don't look like you can do much."

"Just give me a shot, I won't let you down," Keitaro insisted. "The pay doesn't even have to be high."

The chef, realizing that they were really falling behind on orders looked at Keitaro uncertainly. "Alright, I'll give you a chance, but one mistake and you're gone."

A few minutes later, Keitaro was standing in the middle of the kitchen, dressed in an apron and a complimentary chef's hat.

"I need some diced tomatoes and onions. When you're done with that, grab the bag of noodles and boil them."

The chef did not have to repeat himself. Keitaro had already begun slicing the onions and onions. _Not quite like cutting pastries, but close enough,_ he thought.

"Here you go, boss," he said giving the tray of diced vegetables to the chef.

"Not bad," the chef commented. "Though there a bit rough around the edges."

Next, Keitaro pulled out a bag of dried noodles and threw them into the pot of water on the stove, waiting for them to boil. When the water had bubbled for nearly five minutes, Keitaro lifted the pot, finding it to be tremendously heavy, and slowly heaved the pot to the sink to dump the water. Though he put up a valiant effort to maintain his hold, the pot proved to be too much and his grip gave out exactly when the chef happened to be passing him by.

Keitaro mouthed a four letter word watching in terror, as the water and noodles spill all over the chef. The man let out a loud scream as the searing hot liquid burnt his skin.

"That was one mistake too many!" The chef was literally red, fitting the anger he was displaying. "You're done here, get out!"

Keitaro shed the apron and hat, and left without saying a word, cursing at himself for always somehow managing to trip or fall at the wrong time. He had wasted a perfectly good opportunity. However allowing himself to dwell on it would only slow him down. _There's nothing in this rural town, it's time to head into the big city… Tokyo._

**-------------------------------**

"Come on, Kitsune; let's get this done already."

"Chill out; I'm doing my part."

Naru and Kitsune were currently in the process of scrubbing the rocks of the outdoor bath… well Naru was anyway. Kitsune's definition of helping out was picking up a couple of leaves and cracking jokes to help entertain them both. They had at it for the past three hours, and Naru found herself wondering why the place seemed so much bigger. Every time she though she was done, she would find another section that was dirty. Neither of them was pleased with the chore they had been assigned and showed through the quality of their work.

"Hey Naru, think you can finish up without me? I've got to head into town."

"You've hardly done anything to begin with," Naru complained. "What do you need to go into town for anyway?"

Kitsune's face broke into a foxy grin as she flashed her winning race ticket. "I'm going into town to cash this baby in."

"You're seriously going to leave me to do all this?" Naru gestured at the large area, trying to make Kitsune feel guilty.

"You might as well take a rest, Naru," Kitsune pointed upward to the sky. "It's going to rain anyway."

"Hmm… you're right," Naru agreed looking up to find the sky beginning to darken with grey clouds.

"It's your choice," said Kitsune. "I'm leaving."

"Don't forget to take an umbrella!" Naru warned as Kitsune walked off.

"Not to worry; I'm taking yours!"

**-------------------------------**

"So kid, you got any experience?"

"No."

"You specialize in anything?"

"Not in particular."

"Any talents or skills?"

"I'm determined and I'll find a way to get whatever you need done," Keitaro stated confidently.

The worker examined Keitaro critically. "You're lean, though a little on the scrawny side… still you've got heart, I feel that can I put trust in you. This just a one time job, but I'll pay you well, if you get it done in the allotted time."

"How long is that?"

"Thirty minutes, if you get it done within thirty minutes I'll pay you seventy-thousand yen, but if you're even one second over, I only pay you half," the worker walked out of the warehouse. "I'll be back in half an hour!" he shouted.

Keitaro's eyes widened as he looked up at the massive stack of boxes. They were about a hundred or more to be accounted for, and each one was heavy enough to where he was not able to lift more than one at a time.

_I think I just got swindled._

Although the task seemed daunting he knew he would never be able to live with himself if he did not at least make an attempt. Keitaro threw off his jacket, pulling up his sleeves.

_I've been given an opportunity; I'll make it work._

Those were the words he intended to stick by, but after fifteen minutes of sprinting back and forth, loading the boxes into the truck as fast as his legs would carry him, he was disappointed to find that the there were still too many left.

He gasped profusely, trying to catch his breath. _It's no good. I'll never be able to finish by the deadline._

There was nothing in the surrounding area that he could use to his advantage.

_What can I use, what can I use?_ Inspiration finally hit._**Who**__ can I use?_

Checking his wallet, Keitaro ran back out into the streets, searching around frantically for the right person. It was about two minutes before he found a person that fit the profile he was aiming for.

"You!" he said running up to a heavily built man in his mid twenties. "I'll give you thirty-thousand yen for less than fifteen minutes worth of labor, but we've got to get it done fast!"

"You for real?" the man asked disbelievingly.

"No joke, you up for it?"

"Where do I go?"

Keitaro lead him back to the warehouse and with their combined efforts, they got all of the boxes were loaded into the truck with time to spare. Keitaro then paid the man, who enthusiastically accepted the money and left, and waited until the worker returned. Thirty minutes on the dot.

"Wow, you actually got it done," the worker exclaimed in surprise.

"Were you expecting me not to?"

The worker chose not to answer the question. Truthfully speaking, she had been hoping to pay him half to get almost all of her work done so she would end up moving only a couple of boxes.

"I guess I was right when I said that I could trust you to get the job done," she said, grudgingly handing Keitaro his payment.

"Damn right, you were right," Keitaro said smirking as he counted the bills to make sure they were the right amount and made his way back on the busy streets of Tokyo. The thrill of accomplishment was short lived, his smile fading as he turned into an alley. Doing these random jobs would not get him very far; he needed to find something more stable.

_I've got to be more forceful, more persistent… I have to show that I want the job._

He saw a 'Now Hiring' sign –the first actual one he had seen all day- posted on the side window of a rather lavish building full of neon lights that were turned off since the sun was still out. Without a second thought Keitaro went inside, his mind completely focused on the objective. In fact he was so focused that he paid no attention, nor did he register any of the surroundings when he entered the building , he turned to the right, heading straight for the large black oak double doors where two females in black suits stood, as if guarding the outside.

"I'd like to speak to the person in charge," Keitaro demanded.

"Is something wrong, sir? Are you not finding the shows entertaining?"

Keitaro refused to let himself be deterred by their irrelevant questions. "Let me through now, or I will find a way to make you regret it."

The woman on the right leaned in whispering into the other woman's ear. "This guy is probably a high roller. We'd better let him through to talk to the boss. I don't plan on losing my job over this."

The other woman quickly nodded and they opened the doors. "This way, sir," the woman on the right said leading him in. It was rather dark and the woman almost seemed to fade out because of her dark clothing, forcing Keitaro increase his stride so not to lose sight of her.

At the end of the hallway, they entered into an enormous office filled with old expensive, Victorian style furniture. There was also very little light which was given off by the small red bulbs on the ceiling, giving the office an atmosphere of a photo developing room, but much more foreboding. The woman that had led him stood off to the right, clearing her throat. "Excuse me, boss; someone's here to see you."

The large chair slowly spun around and Keitaro was greeted by the sight of a slim, older middle aged woman with long white hair that matched the white suit she was wearing. He was beginning to some minor doubts, but he pushed them aside, unconsciously readjusting his tie.

"Yes?"

Keitaro took a step forward, speaking with as much confidence as he could conjure. "I understand that you are looking to hire; I am interested in the position."

The woman's lip curled in an amused smile. "Tell me the real reason why you are here."

"I just said it," Keitaro replied, unfazed.

When the woman realized that Keitaro was serious, she spoke, barely containing her smile. "Well, I'm afraid I can't hire you."

"Why not?"

"I don't think you'd be very successful here."

"How do you know if you don't give me a chance?"

"Trust me, I know."

"That's not fair!" Keitaro protested. "The least you can do is ask me some questions before saying no. You don't even know anything about me yet."

"I know enough."

"You know **nothing**."

"I'm telling you; you're not suited for this line of work."

"Stop judging me on the spot, you have no right to say that."

The woman's smile grew. "I think I understand what's happening here. Do you know what the position we're hiring for is?"

"Not yet I don't."

"I see… and I'll wager you don't know the nature of this building either.

Keitaro nodded, although he did not see where she was going with this.

"This is a Gentleman's Club, and the position that we are hiring for is erotic dancer."

Fortunately for Keitaro the light in the room was red, because the blush that appeared on his features was so fierce that he was afraid that his capillaries would burst at any moment. _Well that would explain why she's being so reluctant to hire me,_ he thought as his knees gave out. He was about to fall flat on his face from embarrassment when the woman that had been standing guard from earlier quickly caught him and lifted him back to an upright position. Keitaro mumbled his thanks, a small shiver going down his spine.

"We don't hire any male dancers here, but if go further down the street there is one for made for the enjoyment of ladies as well as males that swing that way. In my opinion, you're practically guaranteed of being hired if you go. The nerd fetish is the latest craze these days," her smile turned feral and she eyed him hungrily. "But if you really need some money, I can pay you generously for some… quality time with me."

"I'm not desperate enough to whore myself out." _Not yet anyway,_ he sarcastically mused. All of a sudden Keitaro felt very uncomfortable. "I thank you for your time," he said before rushing down the hall nearly sprinting until he burst outside.

Out of curiosity he peered down the street at the 'Ladies Club' that the woman had mentioned for him to go to and saw a large **'Sold Out'** sticker pasted over the sign with the show times. _I can't believe I wandered into the __**Red Light District**_ he grumbled inwardly. He tried to put as much distance as possible from there and eventually found himself in the corporate homeland of Tokyo City, where all the big businesses were. Half the day had passed by in his job seeking endeavors and Keitaro was starting to feel the exhaustion as he entered one of the skyscrapers.

"Welcome to Sakata industries, building three: what is it that I can help you with today sir?"

"I am seeking employment. Are there any open positions?"

The clerk pulled out an application form. "Please fill this out and turn it into me when you're done."

Keitaro thanked him and sat down on one of the chairs located against the wall. The workplace was a sight to behold. Overflowing with the daily hustle and bustle of the business world, operators were answering the phones while putting twenty others on hold and employees paced in and out of cubicles, hard at work at their jobs.

Just then, a slick looking young man, hazel eyes and matching hair, in an expensive suit and a briefcase walked in taking the seat next to him. He glanced over to Keitaro and spoke.

"Looking for a job too, huh?"

"I've got to make a living somehow," Keitaro replied.

"Too true," the man chuckled with toothy grin.

Keitaro noticed that the young man was about the same age as himself, but that was not the unusual thing about him. He seemed to carry an oddly proud bearing, a kind of confidence that demanded for the world around him to obey at his beck and call.

"But you know, I don't know if it was such a good idea for you to apply here though."

"Why's that?" Keitaro asked.

"The boss here is a real hardass, demands perfection and favors absolutely no one at all," the man answered, gazing lazily across the way. "Right up there. See that? That's him."

Keitaro followed his gaze and saw an enormous portrait of a middle-aged man with a stern expression on his face. Underneath the portrait, it read: Founder and CEO of Sakata Industries Ltd. In fact, upon closer inspection, there seemed to be an eerie resemblance between the man up there and the young man right beside him.

"You seem to know a lot about him," said Keitaro. "Have you met him before?"

The man's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the portrait, his grin transforming into a scowl. "Oh, he and I go way back. Way, way back."

A door to the right of them opened up and a woman holding a clipboard called out, "Number nineteen. It's time for your interview!"

"That's me," the man said getting up, with some thing of an airy sigh. "Oh, before I forget," he reached into his pocket and handed Keitaro a business card. "Call me up sometime and let me know how it goes for you. You look like a sap—I mean chap who needs all the help he can get and **I'm…**" there it was again, that overconfidence. "… a nice guy, not as bad as everyone says and **I'll** see what I can do to help you out. Now of course you won't get any of the higher up positions like me, but I'll see what I can do… maybe you can be my personal chauffer or something."

The condescending manner way he spoke reminded Keitaro of the typical rich kid who paid his way through everything, getting whatever they wanted. He found himself half way despising the man, yet forced himself to hold his tongue. Their was a lingering feeling in the back of Keitaro's mind that told him this man would be of assistance to him in the future. Exactly how, he did not know, but this feeling was so strong that he decided to play it cool… perhaps even cold.

Keitaro nodded dispassionately, "Hm, good luck with the interview," he managed to force out before returning his attention back to the application, effectively ignoring the man's presence.

"Don't need it," the man crooned. "The boss may be a hardass, but this time I'll prove to him that I'm ready," he did not just walk to the next office, he strutted with an undeniable swagger that went far beyond confidence, it was downright cocky.

When he had finally finished the application, Keitaro went back up to the clerk.

"Okay, sir, it'll take me a couple of minutes to process and then I'll be able to tell you if we have an opening for you. If we do, you'll be granted an interview.

Keitaro nodded, deciding to read the business card the man had handed him earlier. _Sakata, Keitaro… huh?_ He brought the card closer to his face to get a better look. _Oh, it's Kentaro with an N… Sakata, Kentaro… his last name is Sakata… Sakata Industries._

His eyes widened as realization kicked in. He looked back at the portrait of the founder, his eyes traveling up to the founder's face and then he recalled back to Kentaro's face. How had he missed it before?

_That guy, Kentaro… he's the son—_

"Sir, your application has been processed. I regret to inform you that at this time none of the qualifications and skills you have is of value to this company. There is nothing you have to offer…"

Keitaro walked out, not bothering to hear the rest of why he was not good enough to work at the company. He sullenly made his way to the train station and got on the train that took him back to Hinata City. Not feeling like going back to Hinata Sou, he found an inviting bench by a quiet intersection and sat down.

_I've never felt so useless, what do I have that separates me from others? I don't have anything… I'm not anything special… I don't stand out at all… I have nothing that distinguishes me._

A clap of thunder was heard in the sky and seconds later rain began to cascade onto Hinata City, befitting his mood perfectly. He gazed up, letting the rain pour onto his face, blending in with his tears, making it impossible for anyone to tell the difference. The droplets pattered off his glasses, obstructing his vision.

_I don't stand out at all in the crowd… hell, even the crowd scorns me._

The rain intensified two fold and Keitaro lifted his arm forward, watching his suit become soaked, the cloth clinging to skin, spreading an icy cold sensation through his body.

…_when it rains, it pours,_ he thought with an incredibly wry smile.

**-------------------------------**

Kitsune made a turn at a corner, gleefully counting through her winnings for the hundredth time. _Can I call 'em or what? This should be enough for the rent and a hell of a lot more. _

She past by a bench noticing a man calmly sitting on it, not at all looking bothered by the rain. She went a little closer to him, her eyes widening when she realized who it was.

She automatically thought back to what Haruka had told her yesterday. He had not been under any responsibility to give her the money for the damages to her room and yet he had, furthermore, she had not needed to replace anything in her room since the only thing that had broken were the sake bottles. So then… why had he done it?

Now that Kitsune really thought about it, she nearly slapped her head at the obviousness. He had practically told her the reason for it.

"_I wouldn't spend it if I were you. The rent is going to be due soon and judging from what you tried to pull on me, I'm guessing you near broke. So I'll get my money back soon enough."_

Those had been his exact words. Kitsune particularly remembered them because of how angry she had been after he had taunted her.

In a million years she would not have expected it, he continued to baffle her, repeatedly showing her that her skills at reading people were not as sharp as she liked to believe they were. But if this really was a kindness on his part, why had he tried to hide it? Why had he been so hell bent on making her angry after he **gave** her the money?

How was she to know? He hardly spoke to them, but that had not been the case yesterday at dinner.

Contrary to what the others had assumed, Kitsune's alcohol tolerance level was very high, built up by years of experience. She may have been a bit tipsy, but it was not nearly enough to have a major influence on her. She had been in a fairly sober state of mind, using her 'drunken' appearance to her advantage.

_I finally got you to talk yesterday… when I mentioned that woman, it was the first subject that got you to say something, but instead of me figuring more about you, what you said only confused me more…_

…_I thought I had you pegged demon eyes…_ she approached the bench.

"What're you doing out here?" she asked leaning over the bench with her umbrella, shielding both herself and Keitaro from the drizzle.

"That's not--"

"Yeah, yeah I know… it's not my business," she mimicked. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here to long, come on let's go."

If Keitaro was at all surprised, he did not show it. He stood up; coming up to her, and Kitsune brought the umbrella over the both of them as they began walking side by side. Keitaro let out an involuntary shiver and Kitsune gave him a concerned look.

"You're cold," she said moving in closer, brushing against his body. Keitaro elicited a soft gasp at their contact and immediately moved out from under the umbrella and back into the rain.

"It's okay, I'll be fine Konno… san."

Kitsune was a bit startled by his behavior; however she had not missed the honorific he had added at the end of her name. "Alright, but at least stay under the umbrella."

Keitaro complied and they resumed their course again, taking care to walk around all the puddles that had formed on the sidewalk. The town was mostly deserted now since most everyone had taken to shelter.

"That's the second time you've saved me," Keitaro said, taking off his glasses, wiping them with his sleeve.

"I'm like your twisted guardian angel, huh?" Kitsune joked.

Keitaro could not suppress amusement at that, shaking his head. "I'd definitely put emphasis on twisted with an exclamation point…" He put his glasses back on. "… and I'd underline guardian angel."

**-------------------------------**


	13. The Blonde Love Child

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 12: The Blonde Love Child**

"Underline? Exclamation point? What is this--Grammar class 101?"

"Did you even get that far?"

Kitsune immediately tensed up, but then relaxed when she saw the smirk on his face. "Oh… so you got jokes, do you?"

Putting his glasses back on, he quietly replied, "Everyone should have some sense of humor."

For a second, Kitsune thought she had misheard, did **he** actually say that? Up to this point, she had believed him to be incapable such a thing, especially after how depressed he looked when she had seen him at the bench.

_Well, at least he's in a better mood now,_ she thought and then a sudden notion occurred to her, _Did I have a part in it?_

To test out her theory, she said, "They say laughter is the best medicine."

"Do you think you're some kind of healer then?" he asked with a slight grin.

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Kitsune. "You sure know how to dish them out, but can you take any fired back at you?"

"It wouldn't be fair if I didn't…"

He finally seemed opened up a little bit and a light teasing match began between them. It went on back and forth all the way till they came upon the stretch of steps to Hinata Sou. Keitaro abruptly grew quiet and his demeanor changed as he took in the sight of the enormous building. Something about seeing it appeared to upset him.

"I'll see you later, Konno-san," he whispered before quickly parting ways with her at the front entrance.

Kitsune walked into the lobby a short while later, closing her umbrella. There was nobody downstairs and she took full advantage of it by spreading her self out on the couch and turning on the television, flipping through the channels, her thoughts elsewhere.

_Just when I was starting to make progress… where'd he go during the day?... What happened? Why'd he look so… sad?_

She knew that he would probably **never** say.

**-------------------------------**

"… now from here on out... relatively simple… make sure you understand this part…"

Hayate's voice faded in and out, some words reaching Keitaro's ears, some not. His face flushed and his nose red, Keitaro rubbed his aching temple, writing down notes and praying that they would make sense to him since he was missing most of the explanation.

Soaking wet and depressed the day before, he had returned to Hinata Sou with Kitsune and taken a hot bath to warm himself up. This proved to be a bad decision on his part: going from freezing cold to steaming hot, and he had developed a slight cold as a result. For the rest of the day, he had retreated to his bed in hopes of overcoming the cold as soon as possible, rendering his search for employment unfinished.

"… we have five minutes left in class, I'll let you guys pack up early today."

A breath of relief escaped Keitaro, and he turned to Mutsumi, sniffling.

"Do you have a tissue?"

She smiled, nodding, and handed him a small bundle of tissue. "Are you sick?"

He turned his head to the side, alleviating the pressure from his sinuses. "No, I'm fine… just a little under the weather." An unintentional grin tugged at the corners of his mouth by the irony of his statement.

"Oh my, look at that, you're feeling better already!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"I'm getting there," he replied. Her disposition was contagious and he could feel himself begin to lighten up. Almost as if his mood had been affecting his physical condition, Keitaro actually felt the dull throbbing in his head fade away. Maybe stress had been causing it.

It was then that he noticed the two chairs to his right were empty. Haitani and Shirai were crouched behind a desk, whispering to each other and stealing glances at their teacher every so often. "What the hell are you guys doing?"

"Got to head out right away—work," said Haitani, ducking because he thought Hayate had seen him.

"Yeah, we got jobs at the Neverland amusement park," Shirai chimed in.

The word 'jobs' sparked a thread of hope within Keitaro. If his friends were working there, they could put in a good word for him and once he got an interview, he knew he could get it, all he needed was an opportunity. "Are they still hiring!" he nearly shouted, causing both Haitani and Shirai to cringe and make shushing noises.

Shirai finally informed him, "Sorry man, we were incredibly lucky to even get an interview even though we applied almost a year ago."

And just like that the figurative balloon inside Keitaro's head deflated. "Why didn't you guys ask me to apply with you?" he accused, feeling betrayed.

"We did… don't you remember?" Haitani was incredulous. "We asked you to come with us when the park first opened, and you didn't because you said it'd get in the way of your studying and meeting your promised --" Haitani instantly halted and glanced at Mutsumi, who was packing away her belongings, paying them no attention. When Keitaro had divulged to Haitani and Shirai about the promised girl, they had honored their vow to keep it a secret, even after their major falling out with Keitaro in high school. It was the lasting testament of their loyalty and trust.

Keitaro was barely able to contain his irritation. Now why did Haitani bring that up? He had already told him that none of it mattered anymore, and he meant what he said. For the first time in nearly a decade, he had gone a full day without thinking about the promise, or the promised girl or anything pertaining to the promise… and now Haitani had to come out and mention it again, ruining what little of a good mood he had.

All Keitaro could do was shake his head in exasperation because the moment the bell rang, both Haitani and Shirai darted off.

"Umm… Urashima-kun," Mutsumi was already walking towards the door. "I have to go to the… restroom; I'll meet with you in a little bit."

"Yeah… okay," Keitaro said distractedly, another idea had come onto him, and he had the perfect chance to implement it while he waited for Mutsumi.

Once she had left, he hesitantly approached the front desk, feeling the familiar stitch of anxiety that he had experienced the day before, fully expecting his teacher to be unable to help him, but even if that was the case he could try… it did not hurt to try.

"Hayate-san?"

"Just call me Hayate," his instructor said looking up from his computer, giving Keitaro his full attention.

"Right… Hayate…" Keitaro trailed off awkwardly, how exactly was he supposed to say this?

Hayate calmly waited for him to speak, showing now signs of impatience, only polite curiosity. Keitaro was free to say his request without fear of anyone listening in on them since they were the only two left in the classroom, and the reassuring thought emboldened him.

He decided to go with the direct approach. "Do you happen to know of any places where I could get hired at?"

"You're looking for a job?"

"Yes."

"Hmm," Hayate tapped the desk thoughtfully, glancing randomly at the windows and ceiling. Were it not for his serious expression, Keitaro would have assumed that Hayate was humoring him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, searching through an amazingly well organized cabinet drawer. His fingers danced over the dividers, until he stopped abruptly, pulling out a small flyer.

"About a week ago during a meeting, I came across this professor," Hayate explained, handing the flyer to Keitaro, who started scanning it right away.

"Noriyasu, Seta: Professor of Archaeology at Tokyo University…" Keitaro reread the last part again just to be certain his eyes had not deceived him, but it was there, clear as day.

"He was handing these flyers out to everyone, saying that he was searching for an assistant. He was an interesting fellow, a little odd, but a good man nonetheless… come to think of it; I swear I met him once in Kyoto… hey, you're one of the few applying for Tokyo U right? This is the perfect chance to get to know the campus and build connections."

Keitaro nodded along with Hayate, his eyes transfixed on the paper and his mind elsewhere.

_Tokyo U… if I could work at Tokyo University…_ his imagined a variety of scenarios of all the prestige, the respect, the honor, the fascinating tasks he would be assigned, the knowledge the professor would bestow onto him.

Everything was within his reach, but he had to get hired first…

Though his morale may have received a boost at the prospect of attaining the position, he knew that he had to remain cautious and prepared for a lot of competition. A job like this was sought after by many people and he would have to prove that he was the best candidate. Keitaro may have been willing to take any a job before, but now he was surging with a desperate hunger, he wanted—no, he **needed** this, nothing less would satisfy him if he knew an opportunity like this existed.

Keitaro traced the last sentence with his index finger. "It says here that anyone who's interested in the position should meet him at the fountain in front of Tokyo U at 4pm."

"I'm sure you know the way," said Hayate. "Let me know how it goes for you."

**-------------------------------**

Naru flicked her wrists, splashing the large droplets off of her hands before using a paper towel to dry her hands. The door squeaked open and the frail woman whom she often saw with Keitaro entered, stopping at the first sink on the other side of the bathroom, pulling out a small medicine bottle from her bag.

Naru adjusted her glasses to get a better look, but the label on the bottle was too far away.

The woman cocked her head back and swallowed on of the tablets.

Naru felt embarrassed, this did not feel right; she was trespassing on the woman's privacy. Shifting her arm out of mental discomfort, she hit the mirror above her sink with her elbow, a sharp banging sound echoed throughout the area. Naru winced both from the pain and at having revealed her presence. The woman had dropped her bottle, spilling the tablets everywhere.

"Errr…. hi," Naru called out sheepishly.

The woman remained mute, staring at her with a fixation of pure panic. Lacking the knowledge to do to anything else during this incredible awkward moment, Naru decided it was best focus something—anything else.

"Let me help you with that," she said inching to where the bottle had fallen; luckily it plastic, and fully intact. She only got close enough to a semi-decent view of the bottle.

"N-no!" the woman cried out rushing to the bottle first and firmly tucking it beneath her black cloak.

"I'm sorry; I just wanted to help…" Naru said doing her best to keep her eyes from straying back to the woman's cloak, a small part of the label was still slightly visible, but she could not make out what was written.

_She's being awfully suspicious….is she popping pills?_ Naru discarded the thought, she was jumping to conclusions again, a bad habit that she was trying to get rid of.

"It's okay," the woman replied noticeably relaxing. "I got frightened by the noise… I didn't think anyone else was in here."

Naru nodded understandingly though the last part of the woman's explanation struck her as peculiar, however she dropped the matter, there was still a large mess of tablets on the floor, and she reached down to pick up the tablets from the floor only to feel a gentle arm on her shoulder.

"Please don't worry yourself over it, they're useless now anyway," she said and almost too hastily diverted the subject, breaking into a spontaneous smile. "You look very familiar by the way, have we met before?"

"My name is Naru; we have the same class together."

"Naru… what a … pretty name…" she said looking lost for a second. "My name is Otohime Mutsumi, student number… I mean my name is Mutsumi."

"It's nice to meet you, Mutsumi."

Now the ice was broken --more like a glacier in this case-- they became acquainted with each other. This meant the following of the usual background questions and before Naru was able to stop herself she blurted out, "Are you going out with that guy Keitaro?" It felt weird saying his name.

Mutsumi simply giggled. "No, we're just friends. Why? Do you know him?"

"He's the landlord of the **all women's** dormitory I live at: Hinata Sou."

"All women's?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"I wasn't aware," Mutsumi said. "How come I haven't seen you talk to him? You're not friends?"

"No, it's just a landlord-slash-tenant relationship… strictly business, we don't really talk."

They were both in the hallway by now, and came across the very person that they were speaking of—Keitaro. A silent standoff ensued, in which Keitaro looked from Mutsumi to Naru and then Mutsumi again, he became aware of a very peculiar similarity that the both of them shared, and since they were standing right next to each other, it was all the more apparent. Perched at the top of each of their heads lay identical cowlicks (**antennas**) made from two unruly strands of hair. He already knew that Mutsumi had them from the photo sticker, but he had not noticed that Naru had them as well until now. From the deep recesses of his mind, a faint spark of recognition ignited and for some unfathomable reason, the playground of his promise popped into his mind, vague and distorted, and Keitaro merely dismissed it as random.

"We were just talking about you," Mutsumi beamed much to Naru's dismay. "Why don't we all—"

"I'm sorry, Otohime-san, but I have to be somewhere by 3:00. I've got to leave right away." He swiftly maneuvered passed them, muttering incoherently to himself, and made his way out of the hall.

Naru had been able to make out the words 'Tokyo U' and some other word that sounded like **'theta', **everything else was garbled. The only hypothesis she could come up with was that maybe he was stuck on a math problem he was working on. She turned to Mutsumi, her new and **first** friend she had made here at the prep school.

"Do you want to see Hinata Sou?"

**-------------------------------**

_The fountain in front of Tokyo U… this must be the place._

Carefully, Keitaro settled himself onto the outside edge of the cement basin, the rushing water flowing just inches behind him. The campus was empty, most likely because classes were still in session. He killed time by reading through the flyer until someone called out to him.

"Hey, you're the only person that showed up!"

Keitaro turned to find a man who bore an extraordinary resemblance himself, although taller with tussled hair and a more '**mature**' face. Their glasses were very similar as well, except that the elder man's pair lacked a frame whereas Keitaro's were outlined with a line of shining silver metal. In his personal opinion, Keitaro liked his own pair better, they were the only items he wore that he deemed fashionable and took immense pride in his taste in spectacles.

"Ah, so you must be Noriyasu-san, it's an honor to meet your acquaintance sir, my name's Urashima Keitaro," he introduced himself, instantly upright, he would have to be professional, this was his potential employer after all.

"Call me Seta," the professor said, rigorously shaking Keitaro's hand. "I guess I can skip the application process and the interview."

Just when Keitaro was going to answer, someone kicked him hard on the knee and he bent over in pain, coming face to face with a little blonde girl in a red hat girl sticking her tongue out at him.

"This is Sarah McDougal," Seta said cheerfully patting her head, oblivious to Keitaro's pain.

"Nice kid," Keitaro replied wincing as he rubbed his sore shin.

"She's great once you get to know her. Now if you'll follow me --"

"Can we talk about my wages first?"

"You're wages..." Seta tugged nervously at his collar. "Yes, yes, of course, we should talk about them."

There was nothing to gain by beating around the bush. "So what are you going to pay me?"

"Your starting pay will be 600 yen per hour."

"I can't work for that little of an amount."

"That's too low… I can't…" Keitaro muttered, becoming uncomfortable. This was really unprofessional, and certainly not what he had expected it to be. Rather than competition being the primary obstacle to face, it was to avoid being to low, so now he was arguing with his possible future employer—a Tokyo U Professor no less.

"Forget about that dork, Papa. I'll be your assistant," Sarah made to kick him again, but Keitaro dodged her in the nick of time, frowning angrily at the brat.

Seta stated a higher amount and Keitaro could hear a hint of desperation in his voice, but he forced himself to overlook it, the amount Seta was offering would not be enough to cover his expenses. As a last ditch effort, Keitaro explained his situation to the archaeology professor, who agreed to compromise and thus, the process of negotiation began. Keitaro did not have much experience with it and it turned out to be very tedious and mentally frustrating. Following many offers and rejections posed by the both of them, they finally came onto agreement and shook on it.

"So when can you start?" Seta asked once the deal had been sealed."

"Whenever you say."

"How about right now?"

"Right now is fine."

"Right this way then."

Seta led him through the Tokyo U campus which by now was crawling with students. All of a sudden, Keitaro felt self-conscious and out of place. This was Tokyo U after all, only the best of the best got in… barely.

Despite his nervousness, he must have blended in because no one seemed to take much notice of him. Then again, there was a grade school kid walking with them and no one noticed her either. Why was he thinking like this anyway? He had the same right to be there as anyone else, even more so considering how much he had given up in his effort to enroll into the university of his dreams.

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself part-timer?"

Keitaro blinked in confusion, realizing a moment later that he had been dubbed a nickname. "What would you like to know?"

"Anything you feel comfortable telling me."

Keitaro considered for a moment. "I'm applying for Tokyo U."

"Really, that's great! So why have you chosen this university in particular? Any subject you want to pursue?"

Now that Seta mentioned it, Keitaro had never really put much thought into what he would do once he got into Tokyo U; his main ambition had always been getting in. And Keitaro was forced yet again to question himself as to why he wanted to get into Tokyo U so badly. "I guess it's to claim an inheritance."

"Well that's not right; you've got to have better reason than that, you've got to have some sort of a **higher** purpose, you know? There're a lot more important things in life than money and status."

"I… guess…"

Seta did not catch on to Keitaro's inner turmoil. "Ah yes, I too was once a hot-blooded youth," he laughed in reminiscence. "Here's where my office is," Seta unlocked the door and showed Keitaro in. "This is where all the magic is made," he said proudly thrusting his arms into the air.

Keitaro could not share in Seta's enthusiasm, the professor's workplace was cluttered and messy; the exact opposite compared to how neat and tidy his prep school instructor's office space was.

"What I need for you to do is…" Seta tapped his chin thoughtfully. "…See those artifacts on the table? Could you get those cleaned and polished for me?"

"No problem."

"And Sarah can help you!"

Seta must have been sarcastic when he suggested this because if he honestly believed that Sarah actually helped Keitaro then it was safe to assume that he was the most oblivious moron Keitaro had met. Far from assistance, the blonde child was an utter nuisance: she broke almost every artifact he was working on (causing him to frantically put the pieces back together), constantly referred to him as 'dork' and repeatedly kicked him on his now very tender shin. Seta seemingly took detected none of this, although he had inquired occasionally about the loud crashing sounds.

"Nothing Papa, I'm just playing with the dor… I mean big brother!" Sarah reassured the professor.

All throughout her rampage, Keitaro gritted his teeth, refusing to complain. No matter what happened, he was going to prove that he could handle this job, besides where did he get off letting a child get to him? He internally chanted this mantra again and again, but Sarah's insisted on trying to provoke some kind of reaction out of him… and she finally got her wish.

Sarah was cackling maniacally, her mission was almost complete; a couple of more minutes of this and the dork would finally break and run out the door crying. Her mission from the beginning had been to get him to quit, and her victory was imminent. She hopped onto the table, ready to launch another clay mask into the air when Keitaro seized it from her.

"Leave me alone, I don't want you here," his voice was low, betraying a concealed anger.

"Why can't you just go away?"

These were the first words he had spoken directly to Sarah and the effect was instantaneous, unfortunately Keitaro had underestimated just how large that effect would be.

"_She's too much of a burden… She's always getting in the way… How much longer does she have to stay here?… I don't want her here… I wish she'd leave… Can she leave?… Can you leave, Sarah?… Why don't you leave Sarah?… Why won't you go away?"_

Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth open, her memories were unlocked from the gate she had used to keep them sealed and they came bursting out, one on top of the other, an endless storm of memories swirling around and around in infinite repetition. Gradually anger replaced her shock, and the language she used proved that Seta did not keep a very good eye one her.

"You dork… bastard… you can't tell me to go away—this is my Papa's office, I belong here!" She picked up the vase and hoisted above her head, ready to hurl it at him, but her eyes began to glisten and she dropped it, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "Stupid… idiot…" she whispered before running out of the office.

"Sarah... Sarah! -- what happened!" Seta asked, running over to him.

Keitaro could only shrug in disbelief. After everything she had put him through, why had she suddenly become so irrationally sensitive? All he had asked her to do was leave him alone in a relatively decent manner and she had blown up, overreacting to an extreme degree.

"I'm swamped with papers to grade…" Seta sighed, he had his priorities; there were more important things to take care of than work. "I'm going to go find her; I need you to finish up with the artifacts."

**-------------------------------**

"Here's your tea, Mutsumi."

"Oh, thank you, Shinobu," Mutsumi graciously accepted the cup from the tray.

Naru bit into a cookie she had grabbed from the tray that lay on the coffee table. "I can't believe you actually stayed at Hinata Sou when you were younger, before it was a dormitory."

Kitsune's eyes were fixated on their guest, drinking in her every movement and manner. A faint blush graced Mutsumi's cheeks and Kitsune realized that she had been staring. To cover up her embarrassment, she tried to play it off by making conversation. "How was it like staying here at Hinata Sou back then?"

Mutsumi took another sip. "Honestly, I really don't remember, I was very young."

"Heeeeyyyyyyyyy, what's going on!" Su had just catapulted in from the hallway landing right on top of the table. "Who are you? I don't think we've met before, my name's Su. You got anything to eat?"

Naru was just about to tell Su that it was rude to ask people those kinds of questions, when Mutsumi happily replied, "As a matter of fact, I do," she said reaching into her bag and handing Su a large watermelon.

"Whoa, thanks for the snack, lady!" Su exclaimed, ready to take a huge bite out of the fruit.

"Wait, Su! You're supposed to cut it first!" Shinobu warned, making Su release her teeth from the watermelon. Kitsune laughed hysterically while Shinobu carried the watermelon to the kitchen with Su close behind, grumbling about how watermelons should have peels like bananas.

Naru however, was watching Mutsumi who had suddenly gotten up and went over to the long banner near the lobby that hung lengthwise down from the second floor.

"Naru, can you come over here?"

"What is it?" Naru asked curiously, kneeling down beside Mutsumi.

Mutsumi lifted the bottom of the banner, revealing a rectangular opening wide enough for a person to crawl through. "It's a secret passageway."

**-------------------------------**

"So how did you feel about the first day on the job?"

"I think it went rather well and even though it was the first day, I still felt like I did a lot."

Seta nodded. "That's good to hear. So what do you think about Sarah?"

"Honestly?" Keitaro could feel all the words bubbling up inside of him.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Seta chuckled.

"Truthfully speaking, I found Sarah incredibly annoying, she was a complete menace, lacked basic human manners…" he trailed off at the solemn look that crossed Seta's face. "Don't get me wrong, I know she's your daughter, and I don't know if this is the way she acts with everyone, but these are the types of things that you should address as her father--"

Seta looked up at the night sky, gazing at the moon. "I hope you'll forgive Sarah for her behavior. You see, I'm not her biological father. Sarah is an orphan; her father died when she was very young and her mother passed away a couple of years ago. She's been shuffled to and from one relative's house to another, but none of them really wanted to put up with her. It got to the point where none of them would take her in and so I offered to become her legal guardian, though I don't think I'm doing a good job of it… Sarah was deeply impacted by the loss of her mother, but I think the fact that nobody wanted her scarred her deeply. She was very difficult for me to deal with when I first adopted her… the stuff I had to go through, you wouldn't believe…" Seta laughed in remembrance. "I hope you can find it in you not to judge her so quickly."

When Seta looked back to Keitaro, the boy was staring at the ground, his face shadowing his facial features.

"I didn't know," was all Keitaro could bring himself to say. Despite how badly Sarah may have acted earlier, Keitaro could not find it within himself to hold it against her. She was simply a child, much too young enough to deserve what had happened to her.

Shortly thereafter, once Seta had informed Keitaro on his work schedule for the week, Keitaro journeyed back to Hinata City. His vision was poor in the dark and he happened to literally run into Mutsumi on his way back to Hinata Sou. Much to his relief, she did not faint this time, and he and she both apologized to each other at exactly the same instant as Keitaro, for the first time took the initiative to help her back to her feet.

"Otohime-san, are you coming from Hinata Sou?" he asked, indicating to the direction behind her.

"Yes, I had a really fun time meeting the people you live with. Did you finish what you needed to do?"

"Actually, I was going to an interview. I'm working as an assistant to an archaeology professor at Tokyo U."

"Really? At Tokyo U? That's great, I'm so happy for you!" Mutsumi gushed.

"Oh, thank you," Keitaro replied, surprised at how genuine she sounded, he felt slightly guilty for having left so quickly after prep school had ended.

Mutsumi began looking anxious. "I'm sorry to keep this short, but I have to go to the restroom."

"We have one upstairs--"

"No, no, its fine, I have to take my medi—I mean I'll use the one at my apartment."

"Okay… goodbye Otohime-san," Keitaro said with uncertainty, she was being evasive again, but he was not one to pry. He wistfully watched her until she was out of sight, wondering if she was retaliating at him from earlier.

When Keitaro had made it to his room, he searched out a small dent on the wall, scrounging out in the area below it until he grasped onto a familiar smooth cover. He pulled it out; pleased to see it had only sustained a minimal amount of damage, and placed it on the desk, having to attempt four times to buckle it before it finally clasp shut.

**-------------------------------**

"So how's it going, part-timer?"

"Good, I'm ready for whatever you got in store."

"Now that's what I like to hear! I have a really important task for you. Yesterday was just a sort of an introduction to the job, today is when—"

A very strange tune began to play out loud and it appeared to be originating from Seta's jacket. Seta himself looked lost for a few seconds before realizing this himself and reaching into his pocket.

"Oh, that's my phone! I always forget that ring tone—hardly ever use the damned thing—I'm not really a fan of them, but it comes in handy for emergencies."

Keitaro could only bring himself to nod, afraid that if he opened his mouth he would burst out laughing. Not only was it the most ridiculous ring tone he had heard (it sounded like circus theme music), but the phone itself looked about as ancient as the artifacts he had cleaned yesterday. The antenna looked like it was trying to pick up signals from outer space and it was large enough to where Keitaro questioned how it could fit in his lab coat.

"Seta speaking… uh huh… yeah… wait are the grades due today? I thought the deadline was next week! ---Of course I've been working on them," he gave Keitaro a wink and a thumbs up. "Just out of curiosity, what time do I have to turn them in by today?... okay… don't worry, I just need to do some final double checking… alright… pleasure talking to you.

Retracting the lengthy antenna back into the phone, he addressed Keitaro. "I'm afraid I'm in a bundle here, part-timer. I was hoping to give you some basic training so that you could help me with grading the papers, but there's no time for that now… I'll tell you what; your assignment for today is to look after Sarah, could you do that for me?"

Before Keitaro could protest Seta flashed a smile and jogged off full speed to his office.

Sarah was angrily kicking her feet back and forth at the fountain. She had been so quiet the entire time that Keitaro had not noticed her until now.

"Hey, Sarah…"

She ran off before he had the chance to do anything else. Keitaro merely resigned himself to watching her dissipating form, assuming that she had fled to Seta's office.

He had to resist the urge to go chasing after her, this was probably for the best, he had screwed up the day before and even though he still believed she deserved some of it, she was only a kid and he had gone too far. From what Seta had revealed to him, Sarah was a strong person, and would come around eventually.

With not much to do except kill time, Keitaro wandered through the campus, occasionally stopping to glance at the bulletin boards, reading the upcoming events that were to take place at the university. What it would be like to attend here, to participate in all of the activities, to finally be able to claim something that he could be proud of, to belong…

He came across the kendo club practicing at a gym. Seeing them spar reminded him about Motoko. Unlike her, they seemed to be enjoying themselves; kendo was a hobby to them, not a cult way of life.

As his eyes followed the bokkens connecting back and forth, Keitaro suddenly had an epiphany--at the time Sarah had run away at the fountain, the direction she had gone in was opposite to where Seta's office was located. She was out there by herself. Controlling an urge to panic, he sprinted back to the fountain. He had to find her.

**-------------------------------**

That dork was so stupid; Sarah hoped he was worried out of his mind trying to find her. Maybe this would make him quit. Sarah squinted at the sun, she must have been gone for hours now and the dork was probably worried sick, not about her of course. He was just afraid of getting fired and having Seta angry at him.

Sarah did not mind in the least walking around by herself, she was used to it. Except she neither remembered nor recognized the street or buildings; the whole area was unfamiliar. How far had she gone? She had been walking for such a long time; she could be miles away from Tokyo U by now.

She wanted to ask someone how to get back to Tokyo U, bud oddly enough, there was no one around, and the entire area was deserted. Sarah became unnerved and started walking faster and faster and she was full blown sprinting down the sidewalk in an effort to find a way out of the ghost town. Why did this always happen? Why was no one ever around when she needed them?

Sarah bumped into something soft and backed away, slightly dazed.

"There you are I've been looking for you."

It was the dork… it was Keitaro. A wave of wave relief came rushing over her, washing away the fear she had been experiencing earlier. "How did you find me?"

"Wasn't that hard, I went back to the fountain and followed the direction you ran in and…" he smirked amusedly. "… You went in a complete straight line."

"Shut up!"

Keitaro ignored her rudeness, glad to have found her before anything happened. "We should get out of here, I don't think we're allowed to be in the dormitory area unless we live here, nobody's here anyway because class is in session."

"So that's why the entire block is empty, how'd you know that this place is where all the Tokyo U dormitories are?"

"I read the sign over there," he said pointing to a large billboard as they waked past it. "You were gone for almost an entire hour; it's a good thing I didn't wait too long."

But she could have sworn that it she had been gone for so much longer. Sarah sweatdropped, she had panicked and run right past it; everything was so obvious now, she felt like a complete… dork.

"What would you like to do, Sarah?"

"Huh?"

"I said what would you like to do?"

Nobody, not even Seta had asked Sarah what she wanted to do. She would always tag along and do whatever he did, trying not to get in the way. Nobody asked her if she wanted to be shoved around through relatives, she had just taken what she had been given, but it was never by choice. **Nobody** had asked her what she liked, wanted…

"So, do you want to do anything?"

If he was asking her, she may as well go big. "I want to go to the Neverland theme park. Take me there."

"Neverland…?" It just so happened, Keitaro knew two people that worked there. "If that's where you want to go, we'll go."

Their time spent at the theme park was an entirely new experience for Sarah. Haitani was working at the ticket booth and managed to slip a few passes into Keitaro's hand, while pretending to explain about the cost of an all day ticket for one adult and one child.

Once beyond the front entrance, the sight that lay before them was truly one to behold. The Neverland part itself was gigantic: roller coasters, rides, carnival games, any form of entertainment that could be named were there. Sarah got to choose every ride they went on and how many times they went on it; she could not get enough, making it her objective to go on every single one.

Due to Keitaro's stomach lacking the strength of Sarah's, he coaxed her into taking a break by offering her cotton candy. Retreating to the booths and carnival games, they ran into Shirai at one of the booths started joking around until Shirai's manager showed up and yelled at Shirai to get back to work. On Sarah's request, they resumed to the rides and it was not until closing time that Sarah at last agreed to leave and they headed back.

Sarah was a bundle of excitement, animatedly backtracking over everything they had done in great detail. Her attitude towards Keitaro had taken a one hundred and eighty degree shift in barely two days. Being an only child, she began to see her day with Keitaro as what it would be like to have an older brother. He was the first person since her parents to have treated her out like this and as much as she loved Seta, he was just too hopelessly absent minded and inattentive.

When they arrived to the front parking lot of Tokyo U, Seta was busily packing a duffle bag into his van. "I have to attend a convention in Osaka so I'll be gone for the night," he said, getting into the van, starting the engine, and then rushing back out again. "I totally forgot about Sarah, can you look after her for the night, thanks Keitaro I owe you one," he said jumping back in and driving off, hitting two light poles on the way out. "Bye Sarah, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Sarah uselessly outstretched her arm out to the disappearing vehicle as if trying to reach it. Why had Seta just left her like that? He had not even consulted with her, nor gave her any warning before taking off… but at least he had said goodbye, and besides, it was only for one night.

She turned to Keitaro, geared up to tell him what she **wanted** to do. "You heard my Papa, take me to your house."

**-------------------------------**

A cool refreshing breeze swept through Naru's hair. Taking one of her rare breaks from studying, she had stepped on to the balcony for a few minutes of down time and to catch the sunset. As she looked out into the wilderness surrounding the dormitory, she caught sight of Keitaro accompanied by a little girl.

"What're you looking at?"

She nearly jumped, which would have been quite dangerous considering she was three stories from the ground. "Aah! Kitsune, you scared the hell out of me! Why do you always pull this kind of crap?"

But Kitsune was not listening; she had slid past Naru, tipping as far as she could over the small balcony wall. "Do you see that?"

"I was, before you showed up."

"Isn't that cute? He's showing his daughter around."

"Hold on…what're you getting at…?" Naru was afraid to where this was leading.

"Can't you tell? Think about it, it's probably why he suddenly came to Hinata Sou. He must have had a fight with the kid's mother, she kicked him out of the house and that's why he came here. It would explain why he's so angry."

"Geez, Kitsune, I knew all those soap operas would kill off your brain cells, next month I'm going to make sure we cut off the cable."

Kitsune paid continued as if Naru had never spoken. "He's too young and from what I can tell, unsettled to be married. The kid has to be a love child… hey look---Su, Motoko and Shinobu are back, come on, Naru!"

For someone who was always seen lazing about, Kitsune sure could run when she needed to. By the time they got downstairs to the common room, Keitaro was introducing the little girl.

"Everyone---this is Sarah, she'll be staying her for the night."

Sarah barely had enough time to give a small wave when she found herself surrounded by five females poking and probing, exclaiming excitedly about how unusual her hair color was, and what a cute and adorable little girl she was.

"Hey, get away from me, I'm warning you!" she tried to push them away, struggling to get out of the circle they had trapped her in, it was a good thing she was not claustrophobic or she would have died of suffocation.

"Step away from Sarah," Keitaro commanded. "I'm responsible for her and I won't tolerate any misconduct, no matter how fascinating you think she is."

As soon s they backed away, Sarah ran behind him for protection. Normally she would have kicked them away, but she was outnumbered, and the tall, black haired woman in the karate uniform looked like she could fight.

"Come on, I've got to study for a while and then I'll show you the room you'll be staying in," he said leading Sarah upstairs.

Kitsune nudged Naru, "Go now and ask him."

"About what—Sarah?"

"No, ask him to study with you."

"Now?"

"For the love of…" Kitsune threw her arms into the air. "Yes, now, he's going to study, this is the perfect chance, try to get as much info as you can on the kid. Ask **her** the questions, since I doubt he'll tell you anything."

"Okay… okay, fine, I'll do it," Naru reluctantly agreed. Although she and Keitaro had created a pact to study together days ago, so far neither had approached the other, and Naru would have to be the one to make the first move.

After waiting for a good five minutes to gather her nerves, she went up to his room, hesitantly knocking on the door. Keitaro answered.

"Yes?"

Naru glimpsed Sarah inside the room going through one of his books with a totally lost expression. "I was thinking that we could have our first study session now."

Keitaro caught her looking past him and slid the door further to obstruct her view. "We're not going to have it in my room," he said frostily.

She averted her eyes, her cheeks reddening in guilt; she had not meant to be nosy. "We can study in mine if you want…"

He contemplated her suggestion shortly and said, "Hold on," disappearing back behind the sliding door, he emerged a minute later with two workbooks and accompanied by Sarah. "Alright," he said simply. "Let's go."

Naru lead them up to the third floor and into her room, self consciously glancing about to make sure it was clean. She gestured them a table, speedily tidying up some loose clothing lying around. Putting on her glasses, she finally settled down across from Keitaro to study, and found that he was already busily occupied with his work.

She turned to the small girl Sarah, who was by now fidgeting from boredom, and decided to make light conversation.

"Where are you from, Sarah?"

Glad to have something to do other than just sit there, Sarah stated a matter of factly, "I'm from the Golden State of California, and it's located on the west coast of America."

Naru nodded. _So the mother doesn't live in Japan, Sarah must only be him visiting then, like a joint custody or something…_ "You speak Japanese so well, where did you learn it from?"

"My Papa taught it to me."

"Really?" Naru's eyes darted from Sarah to Keitaro, expecting a reaction from him, but he continued working as if nothing had been said.

"Sarah, do you like you're Papa?"

"Yeah---he's the best, my favorite person to be with."

Again, Keitaro showed no signs of having heard anything. How could he just sit there and pretend not to hear all the praise his daughter was giving him? Did he even care? Come to think of it, he had not even acknowledged her as his daughter once, referring to Sarah as his '**responsibility'.**

Since he seemed to not be listening, Naru decided to take the risk and venture another question, not realizing the implications of what she asked next, "How's you're mother doing, Sarah?"

Keitaro had finally heard enough.

**-------------------------------**


	14. Knight In Rusting Armor

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note**: Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**-------------------------------**

**Chapter 13: Knight In Rusting Armor**

"Stop interrogating her," Keitaro said sharply. The absolute last thing Sarah needed right now was to be reminded of her dead mother. "I thought you wanted to study, not play twenty one questions."

Sarah scowled at Naru, letting out a low growl and clutching her fists menacingly, and Naru, sensing the wordless hostility, cautiously decided to drop the subject.

Directing his attention back to his workbook, Keitaro reread the problem he had been stuck on and struggling to figure out since the beginning of the session. No good came out of it, however, and the more he read it, the more confusing it became. There was only one option left, the grueling last resort—he would have to ask for help.

Easier said than done, Keitaro's pride pinched his tongue whenever he came close to asking Naru for assistance.

In what could simply be described as a mockery of a study session, no progress was made and there was no interaction whatsoever. Keitaro and Naru made eye contact three or four times, only to instantly turn away from each other. It was as if an invisible barrier ran through the middle of the table.

Sarah watched the charade carry on with increasing annoyance, finally grabbing both of their books from underneath them. "The two of you are acting like dorks! Why can't you settle your differences already and work together!"

"Calm down, Sarah!" Keitaro ordered.

He and Naru flinched and shielded their faces with their hands as Sarah held the books up in a threatening manner, then merely tossed the books back onto the table putting her hands on her hips, and looking at them as if they were stupid little children. "You guys are ridiculous."

Sarah may have been a nearly decade younger than them, but right now she was the one assuming the role of a mature adult (in her own childish way). Doing what kids do best, Sarah had bluntly brought everything out into the open, adding further to an already incredibly awkward situation. This did, however, force Keitaro and Naru to break their stubborn vow of silence.

"Look I--"

"Can you--"

They both spoke out in unison at the same time, each ending in mid-sentence to allow the other to finish.

"You can go first—"

"Go ahead--"

Again at the same time.

Keitaro made a stopping motion with his hand and gestured to himself. Naru, her cheeks a light hue of pink, caught on to his meaning and nodded.

Assured the right of way, Keitaro asked, "I don't understand how to do this question, any suggestions?" Twisting the book upside down in Naru's direction, he pushed it across to her, his finger on the question.

Naru leaned forward to get a better look, overestimating the distance and bumping her head straight into Keitaro's.

"Ouch…sorry about that."

"It's okay, just tell me if you know how to do this," Keitaro said rubbing his head irritably. He slid the book closer to her.

I've got to get a grip, take a deep breath and relax, Naru told herself, though she had no idea why she felt so unnaturally nervous. Part of her even considered the possibility of receiving a strike if she was unable to explain the question correctly to him.

Slowly and carefully, Naru read the question, feeling as if she was taking an exam.

"Oh yeah, I remember this one, the tricky part--" she suddenly paused, pretending to reanalyze the question.

The dilemma was not the question, she could answer that easily, but was she supposed to help him? Kitsune had inconveniently left out if she was supposed to carry out 'Operation Sabotage'.

Naru was far from being an accomplished liar and con artist like Kitsune. Even if she did she did try to mislead him, there was no way she would be able to pull it off. Keitaro would find out for sure and the whole plan would go to waste.

So for now she decided to help him, after all the mock exams were a couple of months away and the actual entrance exam a whole year away.

"Okay, first you would take this variable, substitute it back into the equation, therefore finding the length of the missing side and from their you can find the length of the other three missing sides using this theorem… and that's all there is to it."

"Why don't you sit next to her so she can explain it to you better?" asked Sarah. She did not understand what the big deal was or why her words elicited such a strange reaction. Naru's cheeks turned a deep shade of red and her eyes widened as the solution she was writing in her book suddenly went crooked and off the lines.

"There's no need for that, I can clearly understand her explanations from where I am," Keitaro said, giving Sarah a piercing look that told her although her first suggestion had proved to be useful, she could keep the rest of them to herself.

A library like silence blanketed the room with the occasional question from Keitaro followed by an explanation by Naru. This repetitious procedure became very monotonous to anyone not actively participating, meaning Sarah in this case.

Becoming more bored as each second crept by slower than the last, Sarah went up to Keitaro to tell him that she wanted to do something else, but changed her mind when she saw just how deeply immersed he was with his work.

_Almost like Papa… but different,_ Sarah thought, recalling how Seta looked when he was busy in his office grading papers.

Instead she whispered to Keitaro, "I'm going to explore around this place, okay?"

Keitaro hummed lightly in response, but a few moments after Sarah had left, he suddenly whipped his neck and his eyes shot for the door. Sarah had left it halfway open.

"Is something wrong?" asked Naru, her gaze falling upon the door. "Do you want--"

"Leave it."

"Alright."

Although the study session with Keitaro consisted of a tense and edgy environment, Naru was reminded of her own tutoring sessions with Seta except now she had taken on the role of the teacher—actually more like a tutor, she did not think she was at the level of being a teacher or even close to being qualified. Maybe one day though, she did find that she enjoyed explaining things, plus it was more effective to be studying with someone. Teaching helped reinforce the knowledge on the subjects.

Keitaro had, to some extent, taken a role of the student. He grasped the concepts fairly quickly, and his questions did make her think more. Occasionally he would catch a mistake she had made by asking how she had done a particular step.

Eventually, Naru tried to branch out on some affable conversation outside of studying. "Did you know there are secret passageways all throughout Hinata Sou?"

"Is that so?" Keitaro asked, blandly.

"Funny thing is, Mutsumi knew about them, but she didn't even remember knowing about them—if that makes sense… that's how she worded it."

"Did you find anything interesting?"

"We saw this mechanical doll, it was really creepy, almost like it was alive. It freaked us out so we ran away."

"A doll?"

"It talked and moved—I swear, you can ask Mutsumi."

"Relax, what you say sounds entirely plausible," Keitaro said with a smirk that suggested otherwise.

"You don't have to believe me, I saw what I saw," Naru lamely stated in her defense.

Keitaro, glancing to his side at the nailed down planks of wood, saw a stuffed yellow cat resting on top of them. He was positive this was the first time he had ever seen it…so why did it seem so familiar?

"You did a pretty good job of fixing the hole."

"Oh! Thanks… I guess," Naru replied, unsure of whether or not to take that as a compliment. "When Hina-san was the manager, I'd use the hole to come talk to her whenever I needed advice or help, it was sort of a connection I had with her."

"I'm not my grandmother," Keitaro stated callously. "And I'm sure you've noticed the glaring differences between us."

He spoke the truth, Naru still found it hard to believe that they were related. Then again, Haruka acted nothing like Granny Hina either. Perhaps personalities were not inherited; rather they were molded into their own unique shape depending on the environment that a person grew up in.

Keitaro regarded Naru curiously. There was something about her face had been bothering him since the first day of prep school… "Are those prescription glasses?"

"Why?" Naru asked automatically touching the frame of her glasses.

Keitaro could tell she was touchy about her bifocals, he had simply inquired about them and she was already getting defensive, still he inquired. "Did you actually choose that style or were they given to you?"

"I chose them."

You've got to be kidding me. Although, he did not say it out loud, Keitaro thought her spectacles were terribly distasteful. He figured that she must have had severe vision impairment because the lenses were so thick he could swear they magnified her eyes. How anyone in their right mind would willingly allow for such an abomination to be perched on their nose was beyond him.

"Isn't the coke bottle shape kind of old fashioned?"

"I don't care if they're centuries old, I like them," Naru stated huffily with her arms crossed.

"As long as you're happy, you did choose them after all."

"It wasn't my choice to get glasses if that's what you're saying. I got them was because I studied nonstop in high school, putting too much strain on my eyes. Even in the dimmest of light I would squint as hard as I could to make sure I didn't miss a single word."

"Was it worth it?" Keitaro asked.

Naru thought back on everything she had gone through since high school, the endless nights of studying. She had originally done it for Seta, but he was gone now, she had barely any friends, no social life—but she had scored higher than anybody on the practice test. That counted for something, right?

"I…I don't know…"

The next three hours comprised of intense studying. With his newly acquired knowledge on the mathematical concepts, Keitaro became so absorbed in his work he lost track of nearly everything - including Naru - though he did remember her when he encountered a difficult problem dealing with integrals.

"Hey, Narusegawa, can you help me on…" he trailed off.

Naru had fallen asleep at the table, her head was buried in her arms, and her breathing came out softly and rhythmically. Was she still wearing her glasses? He could not tell, but if she was…well all he could say was that she would be in for a rude awakening. Glasses tended to leave vicious marks on the bridge of the nose if too much pressure was applied onto them.

As Keitaro neared the door, his books in hand, he pondered about how frequently and how long Naru studied each and every day. She busted her ass, working incredibly hard while everyone else was out socializing, and it had paid off, she ranked higher number one in the nation. It was almost like and exchange. She sacrificed her time, her energy and in return she was rewarded for her efforts.

In order to be the best, you had to be extremely dedicated and put in a thousand times more effort than anyone else, constantly reviewing the material again and again until it was drilled into your brain. There were no shortcuts in life, unless perhaps you were a genius, but even they had to work hard to develop their talents.

Now that Keitaro thought about it, he realized why he had failed to get into Tokyo U for the past two years. He used to believe that he could not get accepted because he was stupid, but he was wrong. The potential was there, it had always been there, but he had no focus, no ambition…no future.

His fatal mistake that had cost him his last two years was the 'promised girl'. He had fooled himself into believing that he was studying because he sat in front of a desk with textbooks, but in reality he wasted away hours upon hours daydreaming about the 'promised girl'. He had spent his previous years in prep school fantasizing about their fated reunion at Tokyo U, the instant recognition that both of them would have when they saw each other…and eventually marriage.

However, there had been no thought whatsoever put into anything else. What did he want to major in? Had he decided on a career? What did he plan on doing with the rest of his life? Who knew? He certainly had no clue.

So then, how was it any surprise that he did not pass? During the central exam, instead of reading the questions, had been wondering what kind of dress the 'promised girl' would wear to their wedding. And then during the last five minutes he panicked and made random guesses.

As much as I hate to say it, Mom was right, Keitaro thought wryly. I had absolutely no focus.

Keitaro quietly slid the door closed, and made his way back to his room to prepare for his night study session. Sleep was a liability now; he knew he could easily function off of three hours a night. Time was precious, the more of it he devoted to studying, the more he would improve.

_If I was you, Narusegawa, I would have said it was worth it…I just wish I had realized it earlier._

-------------------------------

How can a place be so big and have nothing fun to do in it? Sarah dismally thought rummaging through the fridge as if hoping that the food would jump out and play with her. She tried watching some television but nothing good was on, so she roamed about for a while, eventually coming into the open hot springs area.

"Oh wow! A swimming pool!"

No one was there so she stripped down and cannon balled into the springs, anticipating the cool refreshing water as she was about submerge, however, she met a burning surprise.

"Aah! Hot! Hot! Hot!" she screamed when she surfaced, gasping for breath. "What is this, a giant jacuzzi?"

Sarah then noticed that she was in the midst of dense steam as her body slowly got used to the heat of the water. She heard faint voices coming from behind the veil of white and suddenly a shadow jumped at her.

"Boo!"

"Aaaaahhhhh!"

An intense laughter followed. "You should have seen your face!" a tanned girl said mockingly imitating Sarah's expression. "And for future reference," she said striking a random pose. "The name's Su."

"Don't scare me like that!" Sarah growled.

"What's the matter half-pint? Are you angry?"

"I am not a half-pint!"

To her displeasure, Su started giggling again. "Okay, how about shorty instead?"

"I'm eleven years old!" she shouted.

"You're too small to be eleven."

Sarah lunged at Su and missed on account of Su jumping clear out of the way right before she could tackle her

Sarah relentlessly chased Su in the hot springs, realizing after the third roundabout of the perimeter that it was a lost cause. She caught her breath, leaning against one of the rocks. Remarkably, Su did not seem at all tired, beckoning Sarah to continue chasing her.

"Come on, you have to catch me, I'll never be it if you don't," she disappeared back into the mist.

_She thinks this is a game!_ Sarah thought furiously. _A…game_. Suddenly, Sarah looked at it through a new perspective. The challenge of tagging Su did seem fun, but it would be a lot more entertaining if Su was the one that was it.

With as much speed as she could gather, she pounced upon a shadowy figure, which she assumed was Su.

"Auuu!" the figure cried out as Sarah landed on her, knocking her into the water.

"I got you!" Sarah shouted in victory.

"Who'd you get?"

"That sugar induced, dark skinned girl, Su…" she trailed off when she realized who she was talking to. "Su! But if you're here, then who's…?"

"Why'd you do that?" A teary eyed girl with short blue hair demanded. "I didn't do anything to you!"

Sarah should have known there were more people in the hot springs; she had heard the sounds of more than one voice earlier.

"Hey, Shinobu, come play tag with us! Sarah tagged you so now you have to catch us!" Su decreed.

It took some convincing, but at last Shinobu joined them after Sarah explained the misunderstanding, scowling at Su. An exhilarating game of 'Water Tag' (dubbed by Su) took place between the three of them. In this game splashing was used to prevent the person it from tagging you, diving was allowed as well for narrow escapes. Su and Sarah were much more aggressive in their method of tagging, tackling their victim and loudly declaring them to be it. Contrasting sharply was Shinobu's timid style of gently tapping, in which she would almost apologize for having tagged the person she caught, feeling as if she was placing a burden on to them.

They played until Kitsune yelled at them from the threshold of the changing room. "Will you get out of there! I'm going out tonight and I'm already running late!"

"Five more minutes!" Su yelled back.

Kitsune complained loudly as she walked back into the changing room and began stripping down.

"Hey, Kitsune--"

"You're too late, Naru, I was here first," Kitsune said, pulling her shirt over her head.

"Good to know, that's not the reason why I'm here."

"What happened to your nose? There's like two red marks--"

"Don't you think I already know that!" Naru said irritably as she rubbed her nose to soothe some of the pain. "I came here to talk to you about the study session."

"Oh yeah, how did it go?"

"I did find out a couple of things about Sarah: she's from California—it's a state in America," she clarified at Kitsune's confused expression. "I don't know why she's here though. When I asked about her mom, our landlord told me to leave her alone. I think I stirred up some of his old resentment towards Sarah's mother, but Sarah looked angry too. She didn't talk to me after that."

"More and more mystery…" Kitsune muttered. "So did you carry out the…" she cautiously glanced in both directions to make sure there were no eavesdroppers before whispering in her ear. "…Operation Sabotage?"

Naru had been expecting this question. "I couldn't do it; I mean what if he's trying to get into Tokyo U so he can get a decent paying job to help give Sarah a good life?"

Kitsune gave her a thoughtful look. "Hmm…you could be right…I think we should wait, at least until the mock exams are over and we know what his chances of being accepted are. Where do you think he stands right now?"

"He has about a fifty-fifty chance and I'm talking about just barely passing the test. To get into Tokyo U you've got to do a hell of a lot better than that. No one gets in with a low passing score."

"We'll just have to see when the time comes," Kitsune said. She then gave a perturbed glare at the open doorway entrance to the hot springs. "Hey, Naru, do me a favor and go drag those three out of there, before I break one of the 'rules' and go in there myself and end up getting a strike."

-------------------------------

Seta did not return the next day or the day after. Keitaro and Sarah combed through Tokyo U—checking his office (which was locked), the parking lot for his van, and tried reaching him on his cell phone only to hear the operator's prerecording say the phone had been disconnected. They asked around, receiving nothing but shrugs or the shaking of heads.

Keitaro suggested that they wait to see if Seta contacted them, but Sarah insisted they go back Tokyo U to check everyday.

Five days later, Seta finally returned apologizing profusely, and telling Sarah about all the gifts he had bought for her. At first Sarah kicked him and yelled curses at him, but her anger melted away when he embraced her, promising he would make it all up to her. Sarah buried her face into his jacket so no one could see her cry.

Keitaro turned his head away from the scene, staring at the main building until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Part-timer…Keitaro, I can't thank you enough for taking care of Sarah for me while I was gone. I owe you an apology too. I'm really sorry for putting you and Sarah go through all that. It's my fault—I got so wrapped up in the prospect of discovering something huge and kept getting delayed…." he paused for a second, and laughed. "There I go again, I'm constantly getting sidetracked."

"Don't worry about it," Keitaro assured Seta.

"Before I forget…" Seta reached into his pocket and handed him an envelope overstuffed to the point of bursting. "Here's your pay: one hundred and twenty hours, plus time and a half overtime pay, plus a tip."

"Seta you don't have to give me…" Keitaro tried to offer the envelope back to him.

"Take it, you earned it," Seta insisted, pushing the envelope back into his hand. "I want you to come see me again next week. I'll work out a schedule for you," Seta said heading off with Sarah.

"I'll see you then."

Sarah was riding on Seta's back, her arms wrapped around his neck. "Papa, Keitaro's house is so cool, it's so huge—like a freaking mansion! There's like a thousand rooms, but it's not really a house, it's actually a dormitory for women, a bunch of psycho's if you ask me. Keitaro said that the name of the place is Hinata Sou…"

Seta stopped short for a second, taking an extra long drag of his cigarette. "Hinata Sou? Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Papa, are you even listening!"

"Oh yes of course, Sarah, go on," he gave Keitaro a farewell wave, disappearing within the main building.

Later on in the afternoon, Keitaro returned to Hinata City by train and as he was walking back from the train station, he saw a group of girls standing in a circle and talking loudly amongst themselves. He happened to spot Shinobu in the middle of the crowd, giving her a brief smile and a wave, continuing on his way.

Was it his imagination or did she look frightened? And the girls all had seemed to be directing their words at Shinobu, pointing at her and…laughing.

She was standing by herself in the middle of a circle, surrounded by a group of girls.

A mental image of Haitani and himself in a similar situation they faced in high school flashed through his mind, and Keitaro felt his pace slowing down to a stop as he realized what was happening to Shinobu only a couple of hundred feet behind him.

All of a sudden something round and furry buried itself into his back and two arms wrapped around him.

"Manager-san!" he heard a voice sob out.

"Ahh! Maehara-san, please don't do that!" Keitaro yelped, slightly overwhelmed by the sudden physical contact. "You have to let go of me."

"S-s—sorry," Shinobu immediately released her hold on him and backed away timidly.

"It's okay; I think I know what's going on. Maehara-san, are you being teased at school?"

Shinobu went frigid and looked absolutely shocked that he had figured it out so easily, though anyone with half a brain could not have missed it. She knew an explanation was in order. Clutching the edge of her skirt with both hands, she stared at the ground as she spoke.

"At first it wasn't that bad, but slowly it got worse and worse. I even started cutting my class so they wouldn't find me after school. They even have three high school girls with them now."

"You don't have any friends at school?"

"Su goes there, but she's in all the advanced classes so I hardly ever see her at all. I almost told Kitsune, but I stopped myself at the last second… I didn't want anyone to know."

Keitaro glanced back to where the group of girls had been standing less than a minute ago; it was deserted.

"Has the harassment gotten physical?"

"Not really, maybe a push here and there, but today I think… I think…" her voice grew softer and softer, fading out.

Keitaro saw how scared and depressed Shinobu looked. "Maehara-san, this isn't going to go away, it'll only continue to grow worse if you don't do something about it. You're going have to defend yourself; you can't have somebody else do it for you."

"How?"

"I believe there is somebody you can ask."

As they walked back to Hinata Sou, Shinobu gazed (more like gawked) at him admiringly. He was her knight in shining armor, rescuing her from those horrible witches. In actuality, he had done nothing and simply happened to be passing through by sheer chance. But his presence had been enough to spur her into action and escape.

Naturally, Kitsune had informed Motoko, Su and Shinobu about how Sarah was in fact the love child of Keitaro and some blonde haired, blue eyed woman, pointing out that Sarah took after the mother of course. Upon hearing the news, Shinobu became so dizzy that her eyes resembled to large swirls and she nearly passed out. Despite her initial reaction, the prospect of Keitaro being a father made him more appealing to Shinobu than ever. He was 'experienced' and it made him seem even manlier in her eyes.

Keitaro gave her an odd look from the corner of his eyes. "Do you need something Maehara-san? You keep looking at me expectantly."

She had been caught staring again, and quickly averted her eyes. "Errr…no, I was just wondering—when do you plan to start teaching me self defense?"

"Me?" Keitaro asked incredulously. "I couldn't train you if my life depended on it. I've got the slowest reaction time out of anyone I know."

"Then who were you talking about when you said you knew someone who could help me?"

"I thought it was kind of obvious, Aoyama is an expert in such things, is she not?"

"Yeah…she is," Shinobu responded, slightly downtrodden, she had been hoping for him to be the one to teach her.

"Well then, you should ask her as soon as we get back."

"Can you come with me?"

"Huh?"

"Please?" Shinobu pleaded. "I don't know how I'm supposed to ask her, and I don't want to go by myself."

Keitaro sighed, adjusting his glasses. "If you truly feel like you require my assistance, I'll go with you," he conceded.

When they arrived in front of Motoko's room, Keitaro gave Shinobu an assuring nod and she knocked tentatively.

Nearly a minute passed and there was no reply.

"It's not surprising that she's isn't here. Motoko-sempai is hardly ever in her room these days," said Shinobu. "I usually see her training out in the forest area when I'm putting the laundry up on the roof to dry."

"Let's go check," Keitaro replied.

They then headed out to the backside of Hinata Sou, coming across a flowing stream whose current came from the gushing waterfall above. Keitaro could vaguely recall swimming in the stream as a child, and being dared by Haruka (much younger back then) to prove his indestructibility by jumping from the top of the waterfall. But right as he was about to attempt the jump, his father had grabbed him. Needless to say, Haruka had received a stern talking to from both his father and Granny Hina for being a bad influence on an impressionable Keitaro. The stream had seemed so much bigger back then, like an ocean.

"Watch out!" A voice shouted.

The warning came too late and Keitaro and Shinobu were hit by a huge wave of water, knocking them down and completely drenching them.

"What the hell was that!" Keitaro demanded as he got up, Shinobu uselessly tried to brush off the water from her clothes.

Once the wave had fully subsided, they saw Motoko leap across from the opposite side of the stream in a single bound and approach them.

"I did not mean to do that on purpose; I was practicing a new technique and messed up."

"Damn right you did," Keitaro muttered scornfully.

"What business do you have with me?"

Keitaro pulled on the collar of his shirt to keep it from clinging to his skin, ignoring Motoko's question. He beckoned to Shinobu. "Maehara-san, I really think you should be the on to tell it."

"Shinobu?" Motoko looked at Shinobu concernedly. "Are you alright? Did he do something to you?"

Keitaro silently glared at Motoko, refusing to take part in a worthless argument with her. He noticed that Motoko looked genuinely tired, breathing heavily, though she tried to hide it. She must have been training since daybreak, maybe even before sunrise.

"No, Motoko, he helped me...if it wasn't for him, I would have…" Shinobu paused, inhaling deeply to steady herself and despondently relayed what had been happening to her at school. Motoko listened on with a serious face.

"…they circled me today when I was walking back from school...I saw Manager-san walk by and I ran to him…" Shinobu finished.

"How many boys were there?"

"She goes to an all girls school, remember?" Keitaro interrupted. "Don't be so naïve, Aoyama. Why don't you wake up—this isn't the Stone Age. You don't think women are capable of such things? These girls are just as bad as the boys, if not worse. They'll bunch together in large groups; cornering someone when they're alone…in fact you probably know three of the ones that are after Maehara-san, seeing as how they attend your high school."

"Is this true, Shinobu?" Motoko asked.

Shinobu meekly nodded and as she described the appearance of the three high school girls, Motoko's eyes narrowed and her hand twitched millimeters away from the handle of her sword. "Oh, I'll take care of those three myself, Shinobu," she said, her voice dangerously low.

"That's great to know but are you willing to teach her some basic self defense techniques or not?" Keitaro asked impatiently, his wet clothes were becoming unbearable.

"Of course I will," Motoko stated indignantly. "We can begin as early as today."

"Good, that's all I needed to hear," Keitaro said and then turned to Shinobu. "Maehara-san, the rest is up to you," he added before leaving.

------------------------------

From that day forward, Shinobu became a 'partial' apprentice of Motoko, since all Shinobu required were the most basic hand to hand defense techniques. Motoko offered to teach her some skills with a bokken, but Shinobu kindly refused. She was not interested in fighting or any other form of violence. Shinobu simply wanted to be able to protect herself, should a hostile situation arise. Unfortunately—actually quite fortunate in Shinobu's opinion—no such situation arose, and she never had to use the techniques. For some unknown reason, none of the girls ever bothered her again; in fact it became quite the opposite, now they actively avoided her. Shinobu did not mind in the least, she preferred to be invisible, but she did wonder what had caused their sudden change of heart.

Since the first joint study session had proven to be a success in both of their opinions, Keitaro and Naru continued holding them, however, Keitaro steadfastly refused to allow Naru to even so much set foot in his room.

In time Mutsumi was invited to join as well, and the three of them got together often to study at either Naru's room or occasionally Mutsumi's apartment. Out of their entire class, they were the only ones applying for Tokyo U.

The material they were covering at prep school became increasingly difficult so Keitaro asked Hayate if it would be okay if he came after school on some days to receive extra tutoring from him. Hayate agreed, saying that he did not have much to do on the weekdays anyway.

Keitaro had to coordinate his work schedule with Seta and his after school study sessions with Hayate to ensure that one would not interfere with the other. He came very close to succeeding, slipping only twice, missing a few days of work. Seta did not seem angry though, instead he laughed about it, telling Keitaro stories about how he had missed his first day of school, his first day of work, his aunt's wedding, his uncle's funeral and many other important occasions he had forgotten to show up to. Keitaro considered himself fortunate to have such an easygoing employer.

Sarah stayed with Seta and made no more visits to Hinata Sou, and naturally the residents of Hinata Sou found the absence of Sarah to be odd, but since Keitaro did not exhibit any worry, they assumed that Sarah had gone back to live with her mother. This is why approximately a month later, when Kitsune heard Sarah's voice coming from outside the front door of Hinata Sou, she raced to answer it in great anticipation. She was going to finally see the mysterious mother of Sarah and the former lover of Keitaro. What she met with though, as she swung the door open, was a blast from her own past.

"Oh my God…Seta!"

"Kitsune, long time, no see," Seta ruffled her hair affectionately.

"But you…two year ago—you left…" she stumbled with her words, struggling to say something coherent. "What're you doing here?"

"Well Sarah told me so many things about this place I had to come see it for myself."

"Seta, good to see you again," Keitaro greeted him as he descended down the stairs.

"You know Seta? How?" Kitsune asked, looking back from Keitaro to Seta. The resemblance between them was really striking.

"Would you like something to drink?" Shinobu offered.

"No thanks, this is kind of urgent—can we talk somewhere private? I asked Haruka to come, she should be here soon."

"I'm here," Haruka said stepping out from behind him. "This had better be damned important Seta; I missing work."

"How come didn't tell me you've been here before, Papa?" Sarah asked.

"Excuse me, I have a question," Kitsune loudly declared, suddenly standing on top the coffee table in the center of the common room. "Why'd Sarah call Seta 'Papa'? She's your daughter," Kitsune added, pointing to Keitaro.

"You thought Sarah was Keitaro's daughter?" Haruka asked blandly, holding a poker face.

All the tenants that were present at the time –Motoko, Kitsune, Su and Shinobu – nodded in unison and Kitsune spoke for them. "Yeah…you mean she's not?"

Keitaro, Haruka and Seta looked at each other and burst out in laughter as the tenants looked on in astonishment at the scene, their mouths nearly hanging open. Did their eyes deceive them? They were witnessing the impossible—Haruka was laughing, and it was not merely chuckle, it was full blown, side splitting, laughter. None of them had even believed her capable of such mirth, what they were seeing was probably a once in a lifetime event.

"That's not even humanly possible," Keitaro managed to gasp out. When he saw that the four tenants still did not understand, he explained, "Sarah's eleven years old and I'm nineteen. Last time I checked, I didn't have sex with anyone at the age of eight," he could not hold it in anymore and started laughing again.

"What a bunch of idiots, I even told all of you when I first came here," Sarah said, crossing her arms in annoyance.

The undeniable logic prevailed, and the tenants could only bask in their stupefied silence until the laughter subsided.

"Oh boy, that was a hilarious joke, Kitsune," Seta said, wiping a tear away. "I've always loved your sense of humor." He failed to notice the fox woman's faint blush at his compliment, but Keitaro saw it, as did Motoko.

Seta turned to Keitaro, his expression grave. "Seriously though, I've got to talk to you about something important."

"We can go up in my room for privacy," Keitaro said, leading Seta and Haruka to stairway. Sarah followed them too, but Seta stopped her at the halfway up the stairs.

"You friends look real happy to see you, Sarah. You should go play and have fun with them."

Reluctantly, Sarah went back downstairs to Su, who was suggested they play hide and seek in her jungle of a room. They dragged Shinobu along as well.

"She's never really had any friends before," Seta commented with a smile.

One floor below them, the remaining two residents in the common room were still attempting to make sense of what had transpired.

"So, our manager isn't Sarah's father, Seta is, but if Seta's her father then…" Kitsune let out a groan, rubbing her head in frustration. "Ugh, you know what, forget this…"

Motoko spoke calmly from her seat on the sofa. "At least we know that the landlord did not sire a child illegitimately."

"Yeah, but it would've made things interesting," said Kitsune. She suddenly took on a devious smile suited for a fox, and brought her face up close to Motoko's. "Why, Motoko, you almost seem relieved that Sarah's not his kid."

Motoko sat perfectly still and looked Kitsune straight in the eyes, holding her composure, nevertheless, her cheeks did grace a shade of pink as she voiced out a denial. "I couldn't care less; all I'm saying is that this shows he's not a totally immoral jackal."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Kitsune said exaggeratedly. This was starting to get fun, and she was not going to let Motoko get away that easily. She brought her face even closer. "By the way, I'm really impressed with how you behaved when Seta was here, Motoko. You allowed another man to walk into the dormitory without even so much as a threat."

"Haruka-san was with him, and besides it's not like he's here to stay or anything, he's just visiting here to talk about something and then he'll leave."

"What if he's not 'just visiting'?" Kitsune questioned her teasingly, so close now that their noses were touching. "I bet he's in the manager's room right now trying to get a room for himself."

This time, Motoko turned the tables on her. "I know you're fantasizing about that possibility, maybe even hoping that he doesn't get a room so you can offer to share yours with him."

Kitsune's eyes opened wide and she instantly drew back as if she had been burnt.

"Now that we've finally gotten that out of your system," Motoko said rising to her feet. "I believe it best that we inform Naru-sempai about Sarah not being the daughter of the manager."

"Naru…" Kitsune whispered softly. She had forgotten about her.

_This is really bad, if Naru finds out that Seta is here, it'll totally screw her over_.

The sight of Naru's old crush would no doubt spark emotional turmoil within her, distracting her from her studies and ultimately ruining her chances of doing well on the exams. Naru was her best friend and Kitsune would not stand by and watch her lose everything she had worked so hard for. Although Kitsune may have had a crush on Seta as well, she could not forgive him for hurting Naru the way he had when he had left for overseas.

"Listen, Motoko, I want you to guard Naru's door, make sure she doesn't come out and if she does, you have to do whatever it takes to stop her from going downstairs…and most importantly, do not let her see this man Seta under any circumstances—understood?"

Motoko could sense the urgency in Kitsune's voice and decided to ask questions later. "Understood."

-------------------------------

"Care for a cigarette?" Seta offered. Haruka silently leaned against the wall, puffing out small smoke clouds.

Folding his legs underneath his desk, Keitaro sat down across from Seta. He accepted the cigarette and put it in his mouth as Seta lit it with a fancy metallic lighter embroidered with an intricate pattern.

Without wasting a moment, Seta went straight to the heart of the issue. "Since there's no longer a need for a full time archaeology professor at Tokyo U, I've been offered a position that involves going abroad and working as a full fledged archaeologist like I once was."

Keitaro tried to hide his disappointment. He had grown rather fond of his job and enjoyed all the tasks he was assigned, whether it was helping grade papers, dusting artifacts, grabbing Seta's lunch, or his personal favorite: taking Sarah off Seta's hands for the day and going wherever they wanted, all expenses paid.

"So I take it I'm going to be out of a job then?"

"With this new 'promotion' I'm going to be traveling constantly between countries, even some uncharted islands, as I work at each new site," Seta explained. "You'll still be working for me, just in a different manner, and you'll even get a raise in your paycheck. You see, I've decided to leave Sarah in your care here at Hinata Sou."

"That's fine with me," Keitaro replied. "What did Sarah say when you told her?"

"I didn't tell her."

"…Were you planning on telling her anytime soon?"

"It's better this way."

"Better for her, or better for you?" Keitaro pressed. "No offense Seta, but after you leave, I'm the one that's going to have to deal with an enraged eleven year old girl."

"Keitaro, you don't understand--"

"No, I understand exactly what's going on. You're afraid of what her reaction is going to be like."

Seta closed his eyes and took in a long drag of his cigarette, blowing out a steady stream of smoke. "You're absolutely right. I'm afraid of what her reaction might be—but I'm also afraid that if I see her, I'll lose my resolve. I won't be able to say no to her if---when she asks to come along with me."

"Be that as it may, do you have any idea how damaging it'll be to her if you just abandon her like that? You'd be doing the same thing her relatives did to her," Keitaro paused to collect himself. "Give her some credit, Seta. She deserves to receive the same respect as anyone else."

Haruka, who had been casually observing in the background, spoke for the first time. "Seta, be a man for once and face this instead of running away," she slid open the door. "Now I'm going to go get Sarah and when I bring her here, you will own up to your responsibility and tell her the truth. And if you so happen to get up and leave while I'm gone, I'll hunt you down myself and when I find you…let's just say you'll be driving with your tongue after I'm done with you. It might even be an improvement since your driving sucks anyway."

Seta smiled and gave and winked Keitaro. "This is exactly why I told her to come."

-------------------------------

"Motoko? What're you doing here?"

The swordswoman's eyes jolted open and stood up straight from her resting place against the wall just outside Naru's room. This was not good; she had to get Naru back through those doors, and fast.

"Umm…" Motoko struggled to think of what to say. "I have been meaning to talk to you about something, why don't we go into your room?" In the subtlest manner, Motoko glided in front of Naru, blocking the way for the auburn haired woman to proceed anywhere else. "I did not want to interrupt your studies, so I waited."

"You're way too formal, Motoko. I'm taking a break anyway so why don't we go talk in the kitchen, I'm kind of hungry—"

"That's okay, I'll have Shinobu bring something up for you," Motoko insisted. "Tell me what it is you'd like to eat…dumplings, bean cakes, rice balls…? I must say, it truly depends on your mood, don't you agree? I believe this would be a most fascinating subject to discuss this in your room."

"Uhh…" Naru sweat dropped. "You're acting kind acting suspicious Motoko."

"Am I? How so? Can you explain it to me in your room?" Motoko asked, stepping forward, forcing Naru to step backwards.

"What is with this sudden fascination with my room?" Naru asked nervously and tried to step around Motoko. "I'm going to go downstairs, can you move out of the way?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Naru-sempai" Motoko plainly stated, advancing toward Naru.

"Motoko, what the hell are you doing? What's gotten into you?" Naru asked as Motoko cornered her. Realizing that she was in danger, Naru ducked and made a mad dash through the open space on the right, just underneath Motoko's left arm.

With the utmost precision and ease, Motoko executed a three hundred and sixty degree spin past Naru, grabbing Naru from behind and bringing her with blade onto Naru's throat—wait, where was her blade, where was Shisui! Her fist hung pointlessly over Naru's shoulder, grasping onto emptiness where the handle should have been.

Damn, I forgot… Motoko cursed mentally. I left Shisui at Haruka-san's tea shop.

"It's official—you've gone crazy," Naru said in a shrilled voice. Convinced that Motoko was out to kill her, she broke off into an adrenaline fueled sprint down the hall.

The swordswoman, with Kitsune's words echoing through her mind, hopped onto the wooden side railing, which was a mere two inches in width (if she fell to the right, there was a three story drop down to the common room). Using her superior balance acquired from years of training, she ran sped down the railing, passing Naru, and jumped back onto the hallway, effectively blocking the access to the stairs.

A petrified Naru stood agape, rooted to the ground by fear, knowing that escape was futile.

"Forgive me for this, Naru-sempai," Motoko said solemnly and karate chopped her on the neck.

"M-motoko…w-why?" Naru managed to whisper before losing consciousness and sprawling onto the floor.

Motoko gave an attentive glance in both directions of the hall to check if anyone had seen, and then hoisted Naru's body over her shoulder, carrying her back into the room.

-------------------------------

"There's smoke everywhere, I can't see a thing," Sarah complained, waving her hand to fend off the smoke. "What'd you want to see me for, Papa?"

Seta had been standing off in a corner gathering his thoughts and had not looked at Sarah until now. Hearing her voice, he turned around, prepared with what he was about to tell her with a sad smile. "Sarah…I'm going overseas again."

"Cool, what do you want me to pack?"

Seta shook his head, still keeping the smile. "No, Sarah, I'm going overseas, you're not coming with me."

"Oh yes I am, I'm going with you, Papa," Sarah said, latching Seta's leg.

"No, Sarah, you're not, you're staying here."

"I won't! You can't make me!"

"Sarah, please listen to me. What I'm doing isn't right. This is about what's best for your future. I've been a terrible guardian, I can barely keep track of you," Seta twisted Sarah's cap forward in a fatherly manner. "You're too young to be uprooted from a home and traveling all the time. You need to go to school, play with your friends, this is your childhood Sarah, and you'll regret having wasted it when you're older. I've messed up as your caretaker…please just let me do this one thing right."

Sarah pulled the hat over her face to hide her tears, at last saying, "Promise you'll come visit me?"

"I'll take every vacation day I get to come see you."

"…okay, as long as you promise…"

Seta turned to Keitaro, "We got a deal, part-timer?"

Keitaro smirked, tapping the ash off of his cigarette. "I'll tell you what, you throw in that lighter, and we'll get straight to the paperwork."

Haruka went and got the contract, and Sarah had to undergo the standard procedure of being interviewed by Keitaro before she was officially instated into Hinata Sou as the newest resident.

After Seta finished scribbling his signature on the last sheet of the contract, he tossed his prized lighter to Keitaro and abruptly departed, refusing the offer to stay for dinner. His flight was tomorrow and he had forgotten to pack. As he descended down the long stretch of steps, he saw Kitsune lazing around near the bottom of the stairs; she looked like she was waiting for someone.

"I'm heading out now, Kitsune; it was good to see you. I'll come by to visit again sometime."

Kitsune crossed her arms and gazed off into the empty street. "Actually Seta, in case our manager forgot to tell you, this is an all girls dormitory, I think it'd be best if you didn't come back here."

------------------------------


	15. Rain Check

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 14: Rain Check**

"You killed Naru!"

Leaning casually alongside the wall of Kitsune's room, Motoko opened one eye, calmly addressing a wary Kitsune. "I did no such thing, I simply incapacitated her."

"You cut her head off!" Kitsune shouted, looking distraught.

Motoko groaned inwardly. Not that she considered herself to be an intellectual, but this was proof of why Kitsune had received terrible grades in high school. "Not decapitate—**incapacitate**it means I knocked her out."

"Why the hell did you that?"

"She tried to run away, I had to stop her and you said to do it 'by any means necessary'."

"I know I said that, but damn it Motoko, why do you always resort to violence so quickly? You've got to learn how to sweet talk people into doing the stuff you want them to do."

Motoko looked offended. "I will do nothing of the sort, I am a warrior; I have my pride."

"You've got zero social skills. How do you expect to interact with anyone if you keep this up?"

"I can talk with people just fine. Besides, did I not accomplish what I was supposed to do? Naru-sempai did not lay her eyes on that man Seta…which reminds me, why didn't you want her to see him in the first place?"

Her question was interrupted by the door sliding open. Naru came in, giving them both a pleasant smile as she sat down on the floor in front of Kitsune.

"What's wrong with you two?" Naru asked in genuine confusion. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Motoko had gone rigid, her back, arms, and legs were pressed against the wall to where it looked like she was trying to blend in with the paneling. The swordswoman opened and closed her mouth several times as if wanting to say something, but it appeared that her voice was lost to her at the moment.

Kitsune was having trouble comprehending what she was seeing. Naru seemed to be perfectly normal, exhibiting absolutely no signs of having gone through a traumatic encounter with Motoko. It may have been a loss of memory, and if that was the case, Kitsune was not going to remind her. "It's just that…well you usually coop yourself in your room all day once you get into 'study mode'. I still remember what happened that one time I tried to make you come out—you make wild lions look tame."

"I think I've been stressing myself way too much lately," Naru explained. "I fell asleep while I was studying and had the weirdest nightmare about Motoko trying to kill me for wanting to go downstairs."

Kitsune examined Naru inquisitively. The fox woman had to admit, she felt rather concerned for her friend. "A nightmare?"

"Yeah, I must have slept on my neck because it's been really sore since I woke up."

All of a sudden, Motoko presented herself in front of Naru and bowed. "Naru-sempai, I humbly ask that you forgive me for my dishonorable and treacherous actions--"

There was a loud exaggerated cough, and Motoko straightened up to see Kitsune give her a stern look and shake her head ever so slightly. Unaware of the silent signals, Naru continued to watch Motoko curiously.

It took a second for Kitsune's message to register with Motoko. "Oh…err…umm…in your dream, I ask that you forgive me for what I did to you in your dream," unaccustomed to lying, she bowed again, this time to hide her facial expression from giving herself away.

Naru looked disbelievingly from Kitsune, who gave her a nonchalant shrug, and turned back to the swordswoman. "Motoko, are you apologizing to me for what you did in a dream?"

"Yes."

Naru could not keep herself from laughing, and Kitsune nervously joined in too. "You're way too formal…" Naru trailed off, her eyes widening.

Motoko's heart skipped a beat, instantly recognizing the phrase Naru used.

Blinking in a daze, Naru ran her hand through her hair. "Whoa…deja-vu…

Kitsune and Motoko exchanged apprehensive glances.

"I just remembered that in my dream I was really hungry," Naru clarified, causing Motoko and Kitsune to nearly face fault. "Let's go down and get something to eat, and we might as well get Su while we're at it."

As the three of them filed out of Kitsune's room, Motoko recalled what she had needed to tell Naru. "Naru-sempai, we recently found out that Sarah is in fact not the landlord's daughter."

"Really?" Naru asked. "How'd you find out?"

"Yeah, can you believe that? I was actually wrong," Kitsune interrupted, casting a warning glare at Motoko. "Turns out, both of Sarah's parents are from America."

-------------------------------

The difference was so subtle at the beginning that it was practically unnoticeable. However, in the passing weeks, there was no way to deny it any longer—Keitaro's practice test score's were rising steadily, each one slightly higher than the last. As of yet, he was still behind Mutsumi and nowhere near close to Naru's level, which kept him working harder and longer to catch up with them. It was 'healthy competition' as Naru called it.

Both group studying and independent studying had their advantages and disadvantages, Keitaro found out. The key was to create a balance of the two and in doing so, Keitaro established a method in which during his solo studying he would work through everything he could do on his own and when he came across something that did not understand, he would put an asterisk next to it and move on to the next thing. Then when he met with Naru and Mutsumi for their study group, he would bring it up and have his questions answered.

However, as it turned out, the ratio between his group studying and studying on his own was largely disproportioned due to the fact that nearly all of his free time consisted of independent studying. Wherever he was, whether he was walking up the stairs, walking down the stairs, walking around the city, on the train, on the roof, in class, in the common room, and even in the private bath, Keitaro could be seen with his nose in a textbook. His internal body clock had adjusted to twenty hour days, four days a week, and twenty-four hour days, three days a week. His new adopted philosophy was, 'The greater the input, the greater the output.'

Because he was so immersed in his work, Keitaro scarcely came into contact with any of the residents of Hinata Sou except for Naru, and he only talked to her when they were studying together. When Keitaro did pass by any of the tenants and actually happened to notice their presence, he kept his greetings short and professional, resuming whatever he had been working on moments later.

Growing weary of studying in his room so much, Keitaro decided for a change in scenery one day, and brought his small dictionary/thesaurus of English words to the teahouse. Math was merely one of the subjects that would appear on the entrance exam; he had to be certain he covered all the other subjects as well. He had to admit, the atmosphere here was quite pleasant. Although there was some noise in the background from the customers, it was light enough not be a distraction.

Keitaro traced his finger across the definitions, scanning the page once more for good measure and closed his eyes, soundlessly reciting all the synonyms he had memorized. He bit his lip as he struggled to recall the last one.

_What's the point of having so many different words mean the exact same thing? Those crazy Americans, they must be terrified of sounding redundant…wait a minute, that's it! _

His internal rant somehow helped jog his memory and when he opened his eyes to double check if he had listed all eight synonyms, he saw Haruka standing over him.

"Hey," Keitaro greeted. "I'm kind of busy right now."

Blowing smoke out from the corner of her mouth, his aunt acted like he had never spoken, sitting on the chair across from him. "I was going over the finances and noticed that we're running really short on money this month. Any idea why?"

Keitaro did not look up from his book. "No, but I'll bet **you** do."

"Keitaro, when you became the landlord of this dormitory, you signed a contract agreeing to certain conditions and responsibilities."

"Okay…" he replied distractedly, clearly off in another world.

"This is exactly why you forgot," Haruka said standing up and snatching the book from him. "I understand that you've been putting a lot of time and effort into studying, but you're still the landlord, and as such you must fulfill you're managerial tasks on time to ensure that Hinata Sou is maintained and kept running efficiently."

Keitaro's sight remained trained on his book which Haruka now grasped in her right hand, his eyes following along with her arm movements. "So what're you getting at?" he asked.

"I think it's safe to assume you didn't read the documents I gave you."

"Yeah…I did, most of them… I think…" he made a grab for his book, but Haruka stepped back held it just out of his reach. "Don't toy with me, old woman!"

In the blink of an eye, the book flew soaring passed his head at mach speed, grazing the tips of his hair. Keitaro knew she had missed him on purpose, and was glad that she did. A little lower and that would have left quite a dent on his face.

He cautiously picked up the book which had inexplicably landed perfectly straight onto the table behind him. "Will you just tell me what it is I'm supposed to do?"

"Hinata Sou's budget is in a deficit, Keitaro; the rent for last month was due more than three weeks ago and you still haven't collected it from any of the tenants."

"The rent?"

"Yes—**you **are supposed to collect the rent. You may not be required to do household chores—but this is a task you have to attend to personally."

A few seconds passed by as Keitaro took this all in. "So, how is this rent collection supposed the work?"

"Granny Hina would go one at a time from room to room to in order keep it confidential between her and each individual tenant," Haruka explained, holding he cigarette out in her hand.

"That shouldn't take too long."

"Good, you'll get your book back after you're finished."

Keitaro looked at his hands, finding nothing there. "When did you…never mind."

Haruka escorted him to the door, opening it when Keitaro halted. "I wanted to ask you--how do you know Seta?"

"We're old colleagues," Haruka said curtly. "Now come on, hop to it, we need that rent money."

On his way back up to Hinata Sou, Keitaro planned out the shortest possible route to take for this endeavor. Since he was starting at the bottom floor he decided to work his way up to the third floor, which meant Su's room was first on the list.

In a rare stroke of luck, he happened to find Su just as she was leaving her room. She waved to him like a kid across the street. "Do you want to play with me?"

"No, I'm busy, Kaolla-san, I'm here to collect your rent."

"How about if give you more money, then will you play?"

"Are you trying to buy me?"

Su nodded enthusiastically, looking at him as she would a new toy that had just arrived in stores. She harbored an avid curiosity about his body structure, and anxiously anticipated being able to examine him on a molecular and atomic level. However, there was still the matter of getting him to agree to the tests, but she would worry about that when the time came, her invention had not been completed yet.

"You need last month's rent, right?" Su reached into her backpack, shoving a colorful assortment of rainbow paper money into his hands. "Okay, I think this should cover it."

Keitaro held the money up toward the ceiling to get a better look at it. "Kaolla-san, what kind of foreign currency is this? You're supposed to use Japanese yen."

"Oh, don't worry about it, you can keep the change."

"That wasn't what I--"

"So you want to go play? I'm about to meet up with Sarah."

"Sorry, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Kaolla-san…" Keitaro sighed. "When you get older, you don't have enough time to play anymore."

"My brother said the exact same thing to me," Su strapped her backpack tightly onto her back. "And if what you both said is true, then I never want to grow up," she crossed her arms to emphasize her point and ran off before Keitaro had the chance to ask her what he was supposed to do with the money she had given him.

Shuffling through the rainbow colored currency, Keitaro halfheartedly considered going to the bank to get an exchange rate. _I'll have Haruka sort it out later, _he thought as he went up onto the second floor.

The next resident he met with was Kitsune, who looked none to happy to see him. "Here I was thinking you were going to give us the first month of you being manager for free, now you're telling me this."

Keitaro tapped his feet impatiently, stretching out his palm. "Can we hurry this? I'm on a schedule."

Kitsune grinned. "Are you suffering from the withdrawal symptoms of not studying?"

His present disposition was anything but humorous, Keitaro enunciated every word. "Put the money in my hand now or else."

"You're worse than Naru when she gets moody," Kitsune complained.

"Money—**now**."

"Can I get an extension?"

"You've already gotten three extra weeks!"

"Yeah I know, but since I thought you weren't going to collect the rent, I kind of went off and spent all of it."

"So you're flat broke, is that what your saying?"

"No—I do have some money it's just that…" Suddenly, her eyes opened and her lips curled into a foxy grin. "Let's play a game," she suggested. "If I win, I don't have to pay you for the rent this month; if you win I'll pay you double what the rent is…deal?"

The mention of extra rent money piqued Keitaro's interest. "What's the game?"

"It's a favorite from our childhood days. We'll have a staring contest, whoever blinks first or breaks eye contact loses."

Although Keitaro was in a rush, staring contests were notoriously short. The longest the game could last would be two minutes at the most.

"Fine," Keitaro accepted and Kitsune ushered him into her room where he removed his glasses, laying them on the table.

They folded their legs as they sat down, facing each other. Kitsune opened up her eyes to their fullest extent.

"You ready?" she asked.

Keitaro nodded.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

Twenty seconds sluggishly ticked by, and neither showed any indication of blinking anytime soon.

"You have pretty eyes, too bad you hide them behind your glasses all the time," Kitsune whispered huskily, hoping to make him blink in surprise. Keitaro merely stared back at her in a neutral expression.

Forty-five seconds passed by, and Kitsune tried to break his eye contact instead. Since her shirt was loose around the neck line, Kitsune brought her arms close together to accentuate her chest more, hoping to break his gaze. It did not work. Keitaro continued to stare at her but now his eyes were starting to glaze over.

_Come on blink! Blink! Blink or look at my breasts damn it!_ Kitsune fumed internally keeping her eyes glued to his. She wondered how he could just sit there with such a straight face, looking so totally calm and at peace. Kitsune was starting to regret challenging him. The situation was beginning to seem worse with each passing second. No matter how much her mind might have willed it, Kitsune was viable to blink at any moment and there was no way she could afford to lose, there was simply too much money on the line. Her gambling impulse had gotten the best of her…again.

In a final act of desperation, Kitsune pulled the collar of her shirt down all the way, fully exposing her breasts. She was now topless and sitting right in front of him, but to her utter astonishment, Keitaro did not bat so much as an eyelash. Was he even awake? For all Kitsune knew, he could be sleeping with his eyes open. No standard red blooded male should have been able to resist this, especially since she was almost in arm's reach of him.

From the corner of her eye, she saw his right arm move. _There we go, I knew you'd give in eventually,_ Kitsune smiled, prepared to declare victory.

She then heard a snapping noise, and instinctively glanced down at his hand, realizing too late that it was a trick. Keitaro had purposely snapped his fingers just below his neck to break her concentration.

"You lose, you owe me double rent next month," Keitaro declared, picking his glasses as well as the envelope containing the rent money on her glass table and turned around to leave. "And also for indecent exposure—that's strike two, don't let me catch you doing it again," he called out as he walked past the door which had been left open, carefully gauging his steps as he slowly walked down the hall. When he turned corner, he finally put his glasses back on, bringing clarity back to his vision again.

_I knew it'd be a smart idea to take off my glasses,_ Keitaro told himself. What Kitsune had failed to understand was that from the moment Keitaro had removed his glasses, his eyesight had been considerably reduced. Although his eyesight was not as poor as Naru's—Keitaro had been able see and recognize that it was Kitsune in front of him, however, his field of vision was incredibly blurry. It basically looked like he was viewing everything through a hazy tear drop without his glasses and since his eyes could not focus on anything (he had been staring toward the general direction of Kitsune's eyes the whole time), it had made it easier for him to keep his eyes open and not blink.

Resuming his trek down the hall, Keitaro knocked on Shinobu's door and when it slid open, the blue haired girl tentatively answered, her cheeks turning red when she saw him.

"Oh, umm…Manager-san, would you like to come inside?"

"I'm in a hurry Maehara-san, I can't; I'm here to collect last month's rent."

"The rent…the rent…" leaving her door open, Shinobu searched through the drawers of her desk, then her backpack and then fretfully began looking under her stuffed animals. "I-I-I can't find it! You're not going to kick me out, are you? Please don't, I'm sure I can find it!" Tears were threatening to gush out of her eyes.

"Relax, Maehara-san, its okay," Keitaro said soothingly. "Now just take a deep breath and close your eyes."

"O-okay," Shinobu did as told, her heart rate increasing ever so slightly. She clasped her hands together, awaiting further instructions, a light blush adorning her face.

"Try to remember where you put the money...there's no pressure, but as soon as you find it, bring it to me, I'll be around…somewhere."

He then ventured onto the third and final floor of Hinata Sou, and when Keitaro came around to Naru's room, he was pleasantly surprised to find that she was the first person to hand him the rent money without any fuss or hassle. Her hair was tied up in braids and she was wearing her glasses and sweats, which meant that she was most likely studying. The sight of Naru in her study attire further served to make Keitaro relentlessly anxious to get back to his own studying, and after their short exchange, he speedily paced forward to Motoko's room.

Unfortunately, Keitaro's hope to finish quickly was squandered since he received no response when he knocked on the swordswoman's door. _She's probably out in the forest, _he reasoned. Keitaro did not realize that he was compulsively gritting his teeth, it seemed like his time was being wasted on purpose.

Swiftly reversing his direction, he made his way to the outside wilderness that surrounded the dormitory. Motoko was not at the waterfall where he had originally predicted to find her. For half an hour, Keitaro wandered through the thickets, trees, bushes…it did not matter, after a while everything began to look the same. He may have gone in circles for all he knew.

At last he found Motoko up in a tree he swore he had passed by earlier. She was swinging her sword furiously, cutting individual leaves in half as she maintained her balance on a branch. Although it was midday, the forest was much denser in this area therefore most of the sunlight was blocked off by the trees except for occasional rays of light that appeared through the gaps. The landscape looked ethereal in Keitaro's opinion.

"What do you want this time?"

Apparently Motoko had seen him, or at the very least been aware of his presence. "Aoyama, I'm here for the rent, and I don't care how important your training is. I need it now."

Motoko leapt off the branch, landing gracefully on her toes. "Come on then," she said curtly, sheathing her sword and walking away, Keitaro followed.

They were out of the forest mere minutes; reinforcing the reality that Keitaro had indeed been walking in circles earlier. When they arrived at Motoko's room, she quickly came back and tossed an envelope to him. "I'm going to train," she said and walked passed him.

"Hold on a second," Keitaro began counting through the money.

"Do you honestly believe that I'm trying to cheat you?" Motoko asked coldly.

Keitaro silently continued counting up till the last note, placing the money back in the envelope. "As I suspected, you forgot that you still owe me for the suit you desecrated." Without warning he tossed the envelope back at Motoko who easily caught it. "You have four days to pay me back."

He left the swordswoman to her thoughts, and made his way to the stairs. As he descended down to the second floor, his eyes fell upon the clock. Four hectic hours had been wasted in his efforts to collect the rent and in the end he received payments from only two out of six of the tenants. How had Granny been able to do this every month? A more efficient system would have to be developed for the next month. He had no desire for a repeat of what had happened today. Taking what little rent he had collected, he met with Haruka at the teahouse to turn in the money and report the results.

They were sitting at one of the open tables, and as Haruka recorded all the money onto a chart, Keitaro noticed that there were too many spaces filled in. "How come you've marked down, Maehara-san and Kaolla-san, I didn't get any rent money from them."

"Sorry, I neglected to mention that Su's payments are mailed directly to me from her home country and Shinobu's parents sent in her payment three weeks ago."

"Thanks for leaving that part out earlier," Keitaro said sarcastically. "It's no wonder Maehara-san panicked, she's probably scared to death right now, not to mention Kaolla-san who gave me a stack of these," he showed the foreign currency to Haruka who inspected them curiously. "That's four tenants paid and accounted for."

"Don't forget Seta paid for Sarah's first three months before he left," Haruka reminded him.

"Then that's five out of six, the only person who hasn't been covered is Aoyama."

"Motoko's never late on the rent."

"She had the money, it's just that she owes more than she expected. I've given her four days to come up with the money before she's evicted."

"Your suit, right?"

"I need a new one since both of the ones I had got trashed and she is responsible for ruining the one of them."

"Alright four days it is, and you're liable for collecting the rain check from her on the deadline Looks like your done for today."

"Can you give me my book back now?"

-------------------------------

"Step right up folks and behold the spectacle of mythical proportions. See the kind of stuff you heard in legends and ancient folklore!" Kitsune's voice boomed though the high tech speakerphone, courtesy of Su.

Motoko came out wearing a straw cap, the shade it cast hiding much of her face. Kitsune suggested it, saying it would add to the mystery.

Kitsune slowly edged over to her and whispered, "Come on, Motoko, you have to look legendary."

The swordswoman thought back to how she had ended up in this peculiar situation in the first place. Since she had been incapable to figure out a way to pay Keitaro back, Motoko had gone to Kitsune for advice. The fox woman had assured of a brilliant plan and requested a seventy percent share on all the profits. Motoko had quickly agreed, although part of her was presently having second thoughts. If her sister ever saw what Motoko was doing right now…she did not even want to imagine what Tsuruko would do.

"This is so embarrassing, Kitsune," Motoko whispered, pulling down the straw hat lower to hide her face.

"Oh, suck it up, you're going to do fine, don't fall victim to stage fright."

Motoko had to admit, Kitsune sure knew how to get attention. The fox woman managed to draw in a surprisingly large crowd, the entire width of the street was filled up with lines of people on both sides of them.

"And now I present to you, the sole heir to the God's Cry School, Aoyama, Motoko!"

The audience applauded as Motoko bowed. The people were eagerly anticipating for a show.

"Here we have some plain old regular logs, but in a blink of an eye, they can be carved into the most beautiful sculptures," Kitsune went over to the pile of logs that lay beside her, picking one up. "Try to watch as carefully as you can and see if your eyes can follow her movement."

Once Kitsune launched the log into the air, Motoko unsheathed her sword and jumped, slashing through the log multiple times at such great speed that only one slash was caught by the naked eye. The log came tumbling down to earth, shattering into an amazing likeness of a fox.

"How's that for you all?" Kitsune shouted through the speakerphone. "We'll be taking requests for what kinds of sculptures you all want to see next, remember those who give generously will be heard—oh, and who wants to buy this one?"

The cacophony of voices was deafening as everyone began shouting out various animals, castles and hats. Motoko's wood sculptures a huge hit, the demand for them so high that they were put up for bid, selling for a luxuriously profitable amount. For the grand finale, Kitsune threw six logs into the air and Motoko, quietly concentrating in the center, used a technique from the God's Cry, spinning herself and her sword in a circle as she kept herself rooted to the spot she stood on, and allowing her ki energy to flow through her sword. All six logs shattered at once, falling one on top of the other as gravity took effect, and each piece stacked together perfectly to form a large wooden statue.

The crowd went wild money began to be thrown at them from all sides, Kitsune sprung into action and rushed with her bag to gather all of it. The six piece statue sold for an outrageously high amount after a brutal bidding war. Announcing that the show had ended, Kitsune thanked everyone for their opulent generosity and the crowd gradually dispersed. Clearly uncomfortable, Motoko blushed and nodded awkwardly at all the compliments she received from various people and even reluctantly signed an autograph for a little boy who had declared her to be his hero.

"Can we please get out of here, Kitsune?" Motoko pleaded, when somebody spoke up from behind them.

"Your skills are amazing! I can't believe it, you're the real deal," commented a slick looking man in an expensive pinstripe business suit. "I bet I could market your talents for a fortune. Think about it…live performances, movies—you're sitting on top of a gold mine her."

With a flick of his wrist a business card appeared seemingly out of nowhere between his fingers. He smiled in satisfaction at the flawless execution; the practicing in front of the mirror had paid off. "Samurais are a dying breed; I didn't think there were anymore left in this day and age. You should seriously consider this opportunity Miss, what I'm offering you can lead to a vast amount of wealth."

Kitsune popped up in front of Motoko and snatched the card from the man's hand. "Hi, Konno, Mitsune here, I'm her manager and the mastermind behind this publicity stunt. I'm willing to negotiate a contract…I'm thinking along the lines of a sixty percent cut for me."

"You've got to come up with more reasonable terms than that."

"We'll have to see…uhh….Sakata, Keitaro is it?" she pronounced, squinting at the business card.

The man cleared his throat, retaining his professional smile. "It's Ke**-N-**taro with an N."

"Stop!" Motoko yelled.

Kitsune and the man now known as Kentaro quieted and turned their attention to Motoko.

"First of all," the swordswoman jabbed a finger in the businessman's direction. "Your pathetic attempt to impress me with that magic card trick didn't work. I saw you slip the card underneath your cuff just before you approached me. Secondly, the only reason that I'm even out here is to pay off a debt and last but not least, I would **never** disgrace my teachings or my sister to gain a profit. This is my way of life--it cannot be bought!"

The side show had proven to be a success and Kitsune tossed the bag full of the tips into the air, catching it before tossing it up again. The money from the wooden sculpture sales was inside the knapsack strapped on her back. "Maybe we should do a sequel show, what do you think, Motoko?"

"Not in a million years--and why is **he** following us!" she heatedly indicated toward Kentaro, who had been shadowing them for some time.

"I'm telling you Miss, if you--"

"I already told you I won't do it!"

"Fine, but if you change your mind, I'll be right behind you," said Kentaro.

Motoko did not care what he did, nothing would convince her to sell herself out and as soon as they reached the steps of Hinata Sou, she went her separate way, returning to the dorm while they went to the teahouse. "This place is overdue for a makeover," Kentaro wryly commented as he and Kitsune entered the teahouse.

Kentaro's eyes lit up in recognition when he spotted two familiar strands of auburn hair that resembled antennas, and rushed up to the table. "Ah! Narusegawa, Naru! I've been searching for you for months. You disappeared after the high school graduation."

Naru merely blinked through her glasses. "Umm…who are you?"

"It's me Sakata, Kentaro remember? Actually you might not. I've monitored you progression from afar during high school and compiled data and research on all of your achievements, personality hobbies, etcetera, etcetera on this chart here," he declared brandishing a scroll from his sleeve.

"That's really creepy, but in a flattering way," Kitsune noted, looking in on the chart. "Oh…it mentions me too! Konno, Mitsune—Naru's annoying sidekick that seems to want to hook up with every boy in school—hey what the hell you jerk!"

Kentaro rolled the scroll back up and slid it back up his sleeve. "It was just some simple observations about you, besides everyone else in school seemed to think the same thing—they called you a slu--"

Before anyone could hear him finish, Kitsune shoved Kentaro off to the side and abruptly walked passed him, turning her face to the side so that none of them could see her.

"Kitsune," Naru called out.

"I'm fine, I just have to go to the bathroom," Kitsune kept her back to them as she hurried toward the front counter. She played it off so perfectly, no one, not even Naru would have ever suspected the pained expression she held as she disappeared into the back of the teahouse.

"Like I was saying earlier," Kentaro spoke up, recapturing Naru's attention. "We attended the same high school--as a matter of fact we even had a couple of classes together."

"Well…err…I guess it's good to see you again, Kentaro, even if it's for the first time for me." _And hopefully the last, _she added in and undertone.

"Yes, I know it's great to see me. That's why we have to celebrate our meeting by going out."

"What?"

"I've got two exclusive VIP tickets to the Neverland theme park, Naru, and I want you to accompany me."

"I don't know, this is kind of sudden…I mean we just met, and I need to study or I'll--"

"Oh come on, have some fun once in a while, I even got us state of the art transportation, a prototype from my father's company."

Kentaro pressed a button on the remote control he had taken out from his pocket and a silver aircraft shaped like a zeppelin crashed through the wall of the tea shop.

"Our date awaits," Kentaro crooned, as a ramp extended out from under the craft.

The scene resembled something out of a distorted fairytale—the prince waiting to whisk her away in his chariot with wings. It had been such a long time since any boy had taken interest in her. The only male in relatively close proximity to her for the past months did not even seem to acknowledge the fact that she was a female.

All the pent up stress from studying was unhealthy and Naru had been feeling the need to unwind for a while now. It would not hurt to allow herself a treat, she had been working extremely hard and she deserved some time to relax and enjoy herself. Besides, contrary to what Kitsune said when she teased her, Naru was no square. She could have just as much fun as anyone else. Kitsune must have been rubbing off on her because Naru's next thought was, _He's paying for everything._

Hesitantly, Naru took hold of his outstretched hand and stepped onto the ramp, disappearing into the plane. The engines hummed to life and the silver aircraft floated up a hundred feet into the air and then sped off into the horizon, flying further and further away from the teahouse that now lay in ruins.

"M-m-my shop…" Haruka's cigarette fell out of her mouth as the customers fled from the half destroyed building. The entire right wall had caved in and sections of the roof were still collapsing around her.

Kitsune appeared behind her, a bottle of sake in each hand, chugging down the entire bottle of sake in her right hand without any show of restraint. "Well would you look at the bright side, at least you won't have to waste any money if you want to install a skylight," she joked, slapping the older woman on the back.

Still in a mild shock, Haruka turned to look at the completely plastered Kitsune, who had now begun to tear through the second bottle.

-------------------------------

"Is this good?" Keitaro panted, his face flushed from exertion. Mutsumi was giving him quite the workout.

"Could you do it a little bit more?"

"Alright," huffing and puffing, Keitaro pushed forward. He had not expected the weight to be as heavy as it was. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Move it a little more to the left…and—there that's perfect. Thanks for helping me set up the _kotatsu_, Urashima-kun."

"Tell me again why you got this when it's in the middle of summer."

Mutsumi clasped her hands together and smiled. "It's my good luck charm; I score a lot higher when I study on it."

"If you say so,

"To show you my gratitude, how about I take you out to dinner?"

"Really—you don't have to do anything to repay me, I'm happy to help out a friend."

"Since we're friends, I insist that we go…please?"

Keitaro was a tough shell to crack, but when he realized how late in the afternoon it was and also took into consideration the fact that he had not eaten lunch yet, he at last agreed only on the condition that he would choose where they ate at. The two of them set off from Mutsumi's apartment, deciding to walk instead of take the train, they found themselves in the livelier parts of Hinata City.

"See anything you like, Urashima-kun?" Mutsumi asked as they passed by a luxurious pagoda shaped restaurant.

"Hmm…the Beef Bowl restaurant over there looks good," Keitaro pointed across the street to a humble looking diner.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to worry about me spending too much money. Pick any place you like."

"It doesn't have to do with money," Keitaro lied through his teeth. The truth was it had everything to do with money. This was the reason why he had insisted on choosing the restaurant; since Mutsumi was adamant on buying, he would make sure she spent the least amount possible on him. "I've been here before. You don't have to go to a five star restaurant, it's the quality of the food that matters, and the food here is really good."

_I hope, _he added inwardly.

"If it's really that good, then come on let's go!" Mutsumi grabbed his wrist and eagerly rushed inside.

In Keitaro's opinion, the Beef Bowl resembled a mix between a diner and a fast food restaurant. They were seated quickly and the service was so fast that within minutes the waiter placed two hot steaming bowls on their table.

"You're right, the food here is absolutely delicious," Mutsumi gushed between bites. "So when was the last time you came here?"

"Uhh… very, very long ago," he replied evasively, stuffing food in his mouth so she would ask him to go into further detail.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Mutsumi said, not at all suspicious of his lame answer. "You ate here so long ago, yet the memory was still there in the back of your mind, sprouting to the surface when you saw this place."

"It's a proven fact that landmarks, colors and sounds can trigger memories," Keitaro replied.

"…Or faces…"

"Yeah faces too—Otohime-san, is something wrong?"

Mutsumi's expression had become so solemn all of a sudden.

"When I look at your face, I get this bittersweet nostalgic feeling…and I can't help myself…"

"Otohime-san…"

"Please, call me…Mutsumi."

"Mutusumm…" His eyes closed reflexively as she drew near and he felt her lips softly press against his own. A few seconds later she placed her hand on his shoulder and lightly pushed him back, breaking the connection.

"I'm so sorry, I did again," Mutsumi apologized. "It's just a friendly kiss among friends."

Keitaro's head was still swimming and he pinched his arm from under the table to snap himself out of the trance like state he had slipped into. _It must have been pheromones, _he reasoned, _I simply reacted to what she did_.

Suddenly, the two of them found it really hard to look at each other and both avoided the other's gaze as an awkward silence set in. For the next few minutes, they listened to the clattering of dishes from the kitchen and the conversations of the customers around them.

Finally Mutsumi broke the silence. "I'll pay the bill and so we can go," she reached into her purse, fumbling through the contents. "Ara? I swear I brought it…" she glanced inside her purse, lightly shaking it. She even tried zipping her purse and then unzipping it as if whatever she was looking for would magically appear.

"Umm…what're you doing Mutsumi?" Keitaro finally asked.

"Sorry, Urashima-kun, I must've forgotten my wallet at my apartment…and I really wanted to do this for you."

Keitaro internally congratulated himself for having picked an inexpensive place. "It's okay, maybe next time. Let me just grab my wallet and we'll be on our way…" When he reached into his left pocket, his hand felt only the denim of his pants. He then checked his right pocket—nothing again. His shirt pockets, back pockets, any other pockets he could think of, all of them came up empty.

_Oh no, don't tell me…_

He nearly slapped himself when he remembered. "I accidentally left it on top of my desk this morning."

"No cause for alarm, why don't I go and ask if we can pay them back the next time we're here," Mutsumi suggested, choosing to act it.

"Wait, I don't thi…" Keitaro trailed off.

Mutsumi had already gone up to the woman running the front register to pitch her idea. Keitaro saw the old woman give her a stern look and shake her head.

"Just kidding!" Mutsumi said to the woman, and returned their table. "Well that didn't work…I think she's the manager of this place."

"How can you tell?" Keitaro asked.

"On her nametag it says the word restaurant manager."

Keitaro sweat dropped. "At least you gave it a shot," he consoled. He had already automatically begun brainstorming for another solution. "What if we escaped through the windows in the bathroom?" he threw out.

A waiter happened to be passing by at the moment.

"Excuse me," Mutsumi called to him. "Where's the restroom?"

"Oh, they're in the back," the waiter explained, pointing toward the front register. "You have to purchase restroom tokens up front first, do you want me too--"

Keitaro interrupted with a warding gesture. "No, that's fine—we were just curious." They did not need any more attention from the old woman.

As Keitaro scanned the area to create an escape route, he realized the diner was built like a fortress. The tables were closely packed together with narrow walkways in between, making it impossible to run. The only exit to the establishment was through the same door from which they had entered, located right next to the front register where the restaurant manager stood guard. To make matters worse, the restaurant manager had been throwing suspicious glances at them ever since Mutsumi had requested for a rain check. To put it plain and simple, they were stuck unless they could develop a plan.

Mutsumi had been thinking along the same lines as Keitaro. "We can't sneak out, there's no way in a cramped space like this. We'll have to walk out in plain sight…" she clasped her hands together as an idea came to her. "What if we disguised ourselves?"

"With what? We don't have any extra clothes or masks."

"Instead of disguising our appearance, what if we disguised our behavior? Like a metaphoric mask."

Keitaro considered for a moment. "You may be onto something, Mutsumi. I have a plan…it's risky but if we act it out right we'll be able to escape.

"Let's hear it."

Keitaro mapped out the scheme he had concocted. "Here's what we're going to do—Mutsumi you're going to have to pretend that I said something really offensive to you and then act like you slapped me across the face…key word **act**. Make sure it's believable and that people are watching—especially that old woman. Then you angrily get up and leave the restaurant."

"What about you?"

"I'll just get up and follow you out a little later, pretending like I'm trying to apologize—so are you ready?"

"Can we do a practice rehearsal first?"

"It's isn't that difficult Mutsumi, all you have to do is slap me," Keitaro said. "Do you seriously want to practice slapping me?"

"Alright, alright, I'm ready," Mutsumi quietly announced, taking a comically deep breath.

"Start whenever you're ready….and call me…Keitaro," Keitaro instructed.

"Why?"

"If you called me Urashima-kun, it would kill the believability."

"Okay, give me a second to mentally prepare myself."

Keitaro nodded at Mutsumi's request; however, he had not expected her to literally take a second.

"KEITARO, HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT MY WATERMELONS LIKE THAT!" Mutsumi suddenly screamed at Keitaro. When she tried to slap him across the face, she held back so much that her hand ended up gently caressing his face instead.

As it just so happened, Keitaro was so embarrassed by the implications of what she had shouted that he face faulted at exactly the same instant her hand made contact with his cheek. He fell flat on the floor, taking his chair with him. Mutsumi suddenly became aware of the fact that all the background banter had died out. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at them with varying degrees of shock, from inquisitive looks to open mouthed astonishment, including the old woman at the register. Their illusion, although unintended, had worked beautifully; nobody had noticed her mistake.

Mutsumi concernedly moved the chair off of Keitaro, but reminded herself to resist the urge to help him up. She still had to play out her final part. Trying to conjure the angriest expression possible, she forced herself to storm out of the restaurant. Her facade almost broke when she passed by the old woman, but she managed to hold onto to long enough to walk through the front door.

The center of attention for everyone in the restaurant immediately shifted onto Keitaro who remained sprawled on the floor until he heard the sound of the front door close, assuring him that Mutsumi had made it. Groaning audibly, he hoisted himself up back to his chair, refusing to meet anyone's gaze, burning holes through his bowl with his eyes. He decided to wait it out another minute before he took off to give Mutsumi a solid lead on him just in case he did get caught. The other people in the restaurant gradually lost their interest in him and the sound of fifty conversations at once filled the restaurant once more.

Keitaro's cheek was still tingling pleasurably from her touch and even though he was still blushing in embarrassment, a wry smile tugged at his lips. _I can't believe Mutsumi said that…did she know? She must have known…the term 'watermelons' is practically a synonym for…Well, it doesn't matter now, at least it worked. She's a pretty convincing actor. _

In his idleness, Keitaro's mind decided to replay the events of their lunch togetherbeginning from the point at which Mutsumi asked him to go with her. As soon as it got to the part where he and Mutsumi were about to kiss, Keitaro told himself rather forcefully that it was time to leave and stood up a little too quickly, banging his knees on the table as a result.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Keitaro looked over to see the same waiter that had told them about the bathroom tokens.

"Yes?"

"The manager is wondering if you are finally ready to pay the bill now, you've been here for almost two hours."

Keitaro had no right to get angry because the waiter and the old woman were merely doing their job. They had done him no wrong—if anything he was the one wronging them. He frenetically began to search for some way (any way) out of this predicament. As his adrenaline level rose, the instinctual fight or flight mechanism kicked in full force, blocking out all reasonable thought. In the end, he chose both fight and flight and before Keitaro realized it, he had picked up his empty bowl and slammed it upside down over the waiter's head.

_What's done is done, there's no use holding back now,_ he told himself and sprinted past the disoriented waiter, hitting the sides of a variety of tables as he tried to run through the narrow spaces. Once he had made it outside, he trotted across the street to where Mutsumi stood waving at him. The two of them began putting as much distance as they could from the Beef Bowl restaurant.

"Thanks for coming with me, Keitaro-kun, I know it turned out kind of weird, but I had a lot of fun," Mutsumi said.

"I had fun too…Mutsumi," Keitaro looked back and saw the waiter coming out of the Beef Bowl restaurant. "But I think its best if we get out of this area as fast as we can…I'll come back here sooner or later to pay for our meal."

"Don't worry Keitaro-kun, **I'll** pay," Mutsumi insisted as they headed for the closest train station.

-------------------------------

Kentaro had mapped out the perfect date to the utmost minor detail. An entire five star restaurant inside the theme park had been reserved for just the two of them and a waiter a waiter named Shirai, whom Naru recognized, catered to all their needs. Their candlelit dinner was exquisite and live music played in the background as they dined. Although the atmosphere was wonderfully romantic, the conversations they had tended to be dull and mostly one sided, Naru simply nodded along as Kentaro went from describing each room in his mansion to the red convertible he had recently purchased.

There was no hesitation shown when it came to money. The price did not matter to Kentaro, his belief was that the more money he spent on her, the easier it would be to win her heart and so he showered her with gifts, buying her anything she showed even the faintest interest in, ignoring her when she repeatedly told him she could not accept any of them. They were able to go on any ride they wanted without ever having to wait and once Naru had gotten her fill of adrenaline rush, Kentaro took her to their final destination—the Ferris wheel.

"What do you think, Naru? The extra money I paid for these tickets was well worth it," Kentaro caught a glimpse of the line a hundred feet below them. "There's a forty-five minute wait to get onto the Ferris wheel and we got to pass all of them up."

"The sunset is so pretty," Naru said in awe, gazing out the window.

Kentaro stared longingly at Naru and took a deep breath. The moment had at last arrived, they were nearing the end of the final rotation of the wheel and it was time for Kentaro to claim the grand prize. "The sunset is not nearly as pretty as you," he said in a husky voice.

Just as he had expected, Naru blushed at his compliment.

"Naru, I love you," Kentaro tilted her chin in his direction, locking his eyes with hers.

"Wha…"

"I love you," he said again, bringing his face closer.

"No…no don't…we can't…"

Her reluctance seemed to further encourage Kentaro. The distance between their lips slowly decreased, almost zero until…

"I said don't!" Naru's fist instinctively cocked back and fired forward, brutally connecting with his face.

Kentaro crumpled onto his seat, covering his right eye with his hands.

Naru sat frozen in horror, gaping at Kentaro. She had not meant to do that, she had implored him to stop, but he had refused to listen. Her hand was still balled up tightly in a fist, trembling uncontrollably. Her body was so tense that she found it physically impossible to unclench her hand, and every time she tried, her fist tightened even more. She grimaced as her fist tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white and her fist began throbbing in pain.

There was a loud screeching sound of steel gears and the cart swayed to the right as it gradually slowed to a halt, signaling the end of the ride. When one of the Neverland personnel unlocked the door of the cart, Naru burst out sprinting at full speed, tears streaming down her cheeks from both pain and guilt.

Kentaro was so out of it that he barely remembered being taken by two of the Neverland personnel to the First Aid center, where a man named Haitani with long brown hair and small spectacles brought out some bandages as Kentaro lay on a bed and watched on with obscured vision; his right eye was swollen shut.

"Aah!" Kentaro yelped at the sharp pain when Haitani tried to apply ointment to his eye.

"Hold still, will you?" Haitani frowned at Kentaro as if were scolding a child. "It's going to hurt worse if you fidget."

"I swear, if you damage my face, I'll sue you for everything your worth."

"Do you want my hand to slip?" Haitani asked threateningly as he carefully began wrapping the bandages.

Kentaro grudgingly relented. "Just try not to mess anything up."

Haitani grinned. "You're going to look like a pirate for a while," he teased Kentaro in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Am I going to be blind?" Kentaro asked darkly, causing Haitani's grin to fade.

"The Neverland first aid center is to treat kids for minor scrapes, stomachaches and nausea," Haitani gravely replied. "I don't think I'm qualified to say anything, you should really go see a doctor,"

-------------------------------

Lacking the substantial funds required to pay for the repairs to the café, Haruka and the residents along with Keitaro got together to salvage what they could. Two large tarps were used to cover where an entire wall once stood and by using another tarp added with some of Su's equipment, they were able to create a makeshift ceiling to cover the missing section of the roof. The remaining rubble inside the teahouse had to be removed by hand, and they spent long hours fixing the broken tables and chairs. Nearly a full day was spent in the effort and once the teahouse had been extensively cleaned from the inside out, a grateful Haruka complimented them all on a job well done.

Keitaro, the residents and Haruka all gathered in front of the establishment to admire their work. The Hinata Teahouse may have been badly damaged, but it was far from destroyed. It continued to remain open and although business slowed down significantly, over the years Haruka had accumulated a group of loyal customers that consistently showed up, declaring that the food and service provided at the teahouse was unlike any other they had experienced.

Things did eventually return to normal, however, it did not mean Haruka had forgotten about the one responsible for the damages to her teahouse. Naru absolutely refused to speak with anyone about her date with Kentaro, and when Haruka asked her for information about the whereabouts of Kentaro, Naru could only somberly shake her head. Naru had no clue whatsoever, she knew nothing about him and had never met him before that day. Angered beyond bounds, all Haruka could do was wait.

Had Kentaro chosen to never come back to Hinata Sou, he would have gotten away scott free. However, as fate would have it, one week later when Haruka was sweeping the front of the teahouse, she saw none other than Kentaro in an expensive tailored suit, walking past the teahouse; apparently he was on his way to Hinata Sou. Haruka's reaction was instantaneous, within a heartbeat, she had roughly grabbed Kentaro.

Kentaro frowned at her. "Don't touch me! Do you know who I am!"

"Listen, and listen well," Haruka lifted Kentaro by his collar, and shoved his back onto one of the remaining walls of the café, glaring at him icily. "I don't give a damn **who **you are, if you don't find a way to pay for the damages **you** to my teahouse, I'll make you regret the day you were born."

Haruka looked like she had been possessed by a demon as Kentaro weakly tried to hold his ground. "M-my name is S-s-sakata, K-kentaro," he squeaked partly from fear and partly because Haruka's iron like grip on his collar was starting to choke him. "And when my f-father--"

In an instant, Haruka released him, and he dropped to the ground. "Sakata? You mean the same Sakata from the Sakata industries conglomerate?"

"Damn straight," Kentaro replied, dusting himself off, reverting back to his arrogance from before. "With a snap of m fingers I can have your broke down excuse for a teahouse fixed up into a tea palace! All I have to do is call my father--"

"The phone is inside."

Kentaro gave her a haughty smile. "Please—like I'd use something so out of date." He brandished a high tech cell phone, brimming with shiny stainless steal and glowing lights. He pressed one button and the phone automatically began dialing.

"Hello father I--" he winced, holding the phone away from his ear as a loud voice screamed from the other end.

"I didn't steal the aircraft…I was just borrowing it. What do you mean what for? It was for a date! Yes I know it was an experimental prototype…what are you complaining about? If it's ruined, make another one—" The cell phone was snatched from Kentaro's hand with such speed, that he failed to realize he was talking into his hand until he heard Haruka's voice.

"I don't care how big your company is, I will take you to court over this and believe me—I have my own **underground** **connections**. You'll be lucky if you don't lose everything…" Haruka narrowed her eyes at Kentaro who froze dead in his attempt to take back his phone. "…a settlement? What did you have in mind?"

Kentaro was unable to hear what his father was saying, but an uncontrollable feeling of dread rose in the pit of his stomach. His father may have been strict man, but Kentaro was still his son, and no matter what happened, his father would bail him out. This thought was reassuring to Kentaro, although the longer Haruka continued to talk to his father, the less certain he became.

"What's the condition…I see…" Haruka cast a glance in Kentaro's direction. "Of course it's a deal, just have your people send the contract to me… you'll have your construction crew here by tomorrow?…Okay…don't worry, I'll be sure to follow the terms of your condition, though personally I think you're the one doing me a favor," again she cast a glance at Kentaro. "It was a pleasure conducting business with you Mr. Sakata," Haruka hung up the phone.

"Can I have my phone back now?" Kentaro whined.

Haruka pocketed the phone. "Sorry, but according to your father, the phone you bought with **his** money—belongs to me now."

"Fine, whatever, keep it, I can always get another one!" Kentaro had originally come to see Naru, but since his mood was now ruined, he decided to come back another time. As he turned to leave he felt a hand grip his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Haruka inquired.

"Wherever the hell I want to!" Kentaro replied condescendingly.

Haruka's grip on his shoulder tightened and she spun him around to face her. "I don't think so. When we reached our agreement, you're father made a request. He's agreed to cover the entire cost for the reconstruction of my teahouse on the condition that his son is taught a lesson in responsibility and pays him back for every cent."

"He can't do that, I don't have a job."

"You do now," Haruka casually replied, tossing an apron embroidered with the Hinata Teahouse logo. "You might want to sell that fancy suit you're wearing because your father also wants you to pay for the damages you did to the prototype aircraft, and he was being so generous that on top of that, he offered me to ask for any extra renovations I might want to add to the teahouse," she gave him a malicious smile. "I'm going to take your advice, Kentaro, and turn the old broke down Hinata Teahouse into the Hinata Tea Palace," her expression turned even darker. "And at the rate I'm going to pay you, you'll be working here for decades."

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	16. Practice Makes Perfect

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 15: Practice Makes Perfect**

Autumn season was fast approaching, the leaves on the trees gradually replacing their green pigment in favor of golds, yellows and oranges. The afternoon rays seeped through the windows into the living room of Mutsumi's apartment, no longer carrying the inviting warmth of the summer. Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi were seated around the _kotatsu_, mentally preparing for the electrifying endeavor they would undertake in mere moments.

"Are you guys ready?" Naru asked, tightening her hair braids, her glasses perched on top of her nose. She looked to her left at Mutsumi who nodded, then turned to Keitaro who also nodded in response. "Okay…this is it, our last practice test before the mock exam. Treat this as you would the real thing."

Mutsumi clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, as if to pray. "Best of luck to all of us."

"Enough with the dramatics, can we start today?" Keitaro pleaded. The practice test lay enticingly face down in front of him, his fingers were practically itching to begin writing.

"Hold on, let me just set the timer, and…" Naru clicked a side button on her watch. "…start."

They flipped their tests over and began. With only two days left before the mock exams, this was indeed a pivotal moment.

In the recent weeks, Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi had been meeting together nearly everyday to study, the bulk of their afternoons spent either in Naru's room or in Mutsumi's apartment. The three, through the passage of time, had gradually grown closer, into a tight knit unit.

Keitaro did not play the role of the strict authoritarian landlord when they were studying; instead he was an equal on the same level, a fellow study partner. It was hardly surprising that he and Naru eventually became acquainted to where they could comfortably talk with each other, although their conversations roamed solely on the area of their studies. Still, the subject of schoolwork could only last for so long…but what else were they supposed to talk about? Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi were like coworkers, as soon as their job was done, there was nothing else to say.

Relationships could not develop unless Keitaro, Mutsumi and Naru got to know more about one another, beyond just the one common goal of being accepting into Tokyo U. Less than three months ago, they had not even known of each others existence, so it was only natural to harbor a curiosity about each other, especially due to their excessive contact on a near daily basis. Mutsumi was always the first to go off topic, trying to create a friendlier atmosphere, and although the ice was thick, each day broke through another layer until the ice broke altogether. Soon their sessions were filled with casual banter.

Mutsumi, being the most open, told them of her life back in Okinawa, her dozen younger brothers and sisters she had helped raise together with her mother, a heavy burden and responsibility on her. For the past two years, she had traveled from Okinawa to Tokyo to take the entrance exams, a journey which had proved to be uprooting and overwhelming, leading her to fail on both attempts. But now that her siblings were old enough to handle themselves without round the clock babysitting, Mutsumi had finally gotten the leverage she needed to finally move out from her home.

Sticking to the subject of family, Naru told them about her half sister named Mei, who lived at home with her father and stepmother. Naru had come from a normal, loving household, but she had still wanted move out while she was a junior high student, and her parents did not object to it. It was on her parents' suggestion that she had moved to Hinata Sou in the first place, Naru had never heard of the 'apartment complex for all women' before then, but she assumed it was because they had read about it in an advertisement and believed it to be a safe place for their daughter to live.

Keitaro was polite, civil, courteous, respectful, and easy to get along with (unless he was crossed), yet in spite his pleasant behavior, he subtly projected a cold vibe, keeping an emotional distance from Naru, and more so with Mutsumi. The borderline to his personal life was severely enforced and well protected, Naru and Mutsumi knew better than too probe too far.

Overall, when Keitaro did talk, the majority of it was done through a series of questions. Just as he had vowed to himself, he took full advantage of the human resources in front of him—Naru and Mutsumi. He often needed them to explain difficult concepts to him, but remained very cautious; whenever it felt to him as though he was asking too much he would stop and withdraw immediately. Truthfully, as much as he hated himself for being so fragile, Keitaro was afraid of being thought of as stupid for not understanding, which was why he met with Hayate twice a week for tutoring sessions, because oftentimes, even after detailed explanations from Naru and Mutsumi, he still required more help.

The tutoring Keitaro received from Hayate was truly a groundbreaking learning experience, his teacher's out of the box methods cut down the most complex concepts piece by piece into small parts Hayate liked to call 'steps', tackling each small step one at a time. By doing so, the workload Keitaro had to do quadrupled, however, they covered each step with so much breadth and depth, that when all was said and done, Keitaro knew the concepts inside and out, truly understanding what they meant and when they should be applied.

Keitaro grew to hold Hayate in high regard, admiring the passion and fervor he taught with, but what truly resonated with Keitaro was how he always seemed to be ready to help a student in need, tirelessly explaining again and again, never giving up on anyone just because they had difficulty understanding. Hayate never scoffed at a question, no matter how obvious it seemed. He never looked down upon a student, and most important of all, he treated them with respect and as equals, something that was very rare these days among professionals at his level.

Aside from Haruka, Hayate was the only other person Keitaro looked up to, someone to go to for advice. Of course, the only advice Keitaro ever asked for had to do with his studies and the mock exam, which was all he seemed to think about these days…

This was why the practice test he was currently taking held so much importance to him. Keitaro was presently wrapped in intense calculations, which to his surprise were not nearly as complex and tedious as they had once seemed.

_I know this…I know this…_he thought excitedly as he breezed by question after question. Everything connected now; the concepts that had eluded him for two years were suddenly crystal clear. All of those laws, theorems, formulas and definitions were finally falling into place. The answers almost seemed to be jumping out at him from the paper.

For the first time in his two years of taking practice tests, Keitaro actually finished…he even had time to spare!

Choosing to use his extra time wisely, he went back to review, soon discovering that after the fourteenth question, he had accidentally skipped number fifteen and all of his answers had been shifted down one. Everything past number fifteen would be marked wrong.

_Damn multiple choice tests, _he thought, rigorously erasing and refilling the blanks, vigilantly making sure to keep the numbers aligned. He reminded himself to never repeat such a careless mistake again, had this been the actual test, he would have been ruined.

Mutsumi and Naru looked up when they heard the scrubbing of the eraser on paper, but Keitaro did was much to focused on his own plight to notice, and eventually the two women went back to their tests. All this happened while the time on the stopwatch continued to decrease at a rapid rate, eventually passing through the one minute mark, fifty-nine seconds and counting down. Keitaro had scarcely finished filling in the final blank at the exact moment the timer went off.

He, Naru and Mutsumi all looked up in unison.

"That's time," Naru declared, glancing at her watch. "Now we've got to self grade."

They turned to the answer key page in their study booklet, comparing the answer key to their answers on the test. He had felt certain that he had done well, but his confidence waned as he found himself marking off more and more questions, red tick marks seemed to be hopping through his answer sheet. A brief glimmer of hope had sprung up within him when he considered that he might have accidentally bubbled in the wrong answer choices when he had been erasing and shifting them up, but the answers he had gotten through his calculations matched up with his answer key…at least he had he done something right.

"I got an 89," Mutsumi happily announced.

"94," Naru stated casually.

Their attention expectantly focused on Keitaro, awaiting his score as he counted through all the numbers he had slashed, dejectedly tallying up his score. He just stared vacantly at his test for a few seconds.

"I got a 72."

Keitaro should have been happy; this was his highest score yet, (his previous high being a 70). But instead of giving him consolation, it only aided to further burn him. This was supposed to have been the turning point for him, where everything he had studied and practiced—constantly, mercilessly, sleeplessly—would ultimately pay off. His grades had been crawling up gradually at a steady pace for quite some time, and Keitaro had hoped to make the '**jump**' forward, where everything he learned finally came together and **clicked**. He had not been so arrogant to believe that he would do great, however, he had been wishing for at least an 80 to throw him into the 'B' range and finally become a serious contender to get accepted into Tokyo U.

But perhaps he had set his expectations too high. What if this was fate's way of throwing him back in his place, reminding where he belonged, punishing him for ever defying its existence? Had he already forgotten that he was 'Urashima, Keitaro', the boy with a below average intellect, who was incompetent not only in his education but in his life as well? How dare he refuse to chase after the faded memory of the dream girl? Fate had given him this one mission in his useless life, and Keitaro had the nerve to think that he was too good for it now? Well if Keitaro was going to spit in fate's face then fate would spit right back at him.

_No…_

Keitaro was better than this. He would not allow himself to stoop down to this level anymore. He had broken free from fate and was never going to let this nonexistent ghost pull him underneath again. Fate was nothing more than a mythical construct.

A hand waved in front of him, breaking his line of thoughts. "…are you listening?" asked Naru.

"Huh? What is it?"

Naru pointed to his test. "Can I see?"

Keitaro handed it to her, wordlessly watching as Naru objectively browsed through his answers, offering her analysis. "You took a big risk in answering every single question. If you skip them, you don't gain any points, but you don't lose any points either. I got stuck on a couple of them and skipped them myself."

"Yeah…I didn't get number forty seven," Mutsumi said, using Naru's test as a reference to see how she had done it. "I thought number twenty two and nineteen were pretty hard too."

"That's strange, none of the questions really seemed difficult enough to where I thought I should skip them…I was so sure I knew what I was doing…" Keitaro half mumbled to himself. The excitement of getting the first ten questions right may have gotten to him, and he had gone overboard.

"If you can't narrow it down to two answer choices, then it's best to skip over it," Naru suggested.

_But I didn't guess on anything…at least not that I can remember._ Now he knew he must have been out of it, he could not recall any question that had truly stumped him.

Naru stretched her arms toward the ceiling. "Well…I guess that's it, we've done all the preparing we can."

"Let's have some watermelon to celebrate!" Mutsumi enthusiastically suggested. She went to the kitchen and returned with two halves of a watermelon resting on a plate. She sat down and began cutting the fruit into slices at the _kotatsu._

The both of them apparently satisfied with their scores, the serious atmosphere of the test was replaced with casual talk.

"I don't know how you can live all alone in an apartment, Mutsumi, don't you get scared?" asked Naru.

"Actually, I just got a new roommate a couple of weeks ago. We split the rent in half," Mutsumi explained, narrowly missing her finger with the knife. Naru's eyes widened and tried to warn her, but Mutsumi continued on. "She's really nice, but incredibly quiet, doesn't like to talk much…I think she's shy. We get along great, she's great company. She's out right now, but she'll be arriving back soon, I'll introduce you. I've told her all about out you guys, she seems really interesting in meeting the both of you."

Keitaro had been staring at his test the entire time, and although fierce battle raged inside him, he kept a neutral expression on his face, except for his knitted eyebrows. Regardless of what anyone else said, he had changed for the better. Before he would have let himself quietly suffer and sink into depression, but now, the very fiber of his being became restless, he could not let this sit. Mutsumi and Naru may have been satisfied with their scores, but Keitaro was most certainly not.

"I have to go," Keitaro slung his backpack over his shoulders and left the two of them in the living room. He made his way to the front door, opening it rather forcefully and almost hitting someone who looked like she was just about to walk in, holding a pair of keys in her hand.

"Sorry about that," Keitaro muttered to the young woman with fiery red hair and blue eyes, she was gaping at him in open mouthed shock. Keitaro, too caught up in his own thoughts, did not notice, moving on without a second glance and descended down the stairs. About halfway down, his foot got caught on something soft. He lost his balance, viciously tumbling and rolling down the remainder of the steps, coming to an instant halt when his shoulders finally hit the rock hard pavement of the sidewalk.

He laid flat on his back at the base of the cement stairs, seeing doubles of everything as the world slowly came back into focus. _What the hell was that?_ He thought angrily, craning his neck to see a long eared, black cat lounging lazily on the middle of the staircase. The cat hissed angrily at him and turned around, prancing up the steps.

Dignified enough to not pick a fight with a kitten, Keitaro unsteadily rose to his feet, brushing off his clothes. Although his forehead and body had hit the steel of the rail and the cement furnish of each step repeatedly, Keitaro already felt the pain beginning to subside.

He roughly seized his test which had slipped out of his hand when he had fallen, heading into the quiet streets of Hinata City. He brooded as walked into the train station and boarded a train, trying to sort his thoughts, barely giving any consideration to his destination.

Glaring at nothing in particular, Keitaro fought the urge to pull his hair out in frustration. What was he doing wrong? He had been in the game for nearly three years and his scores were still mediocre compared to Narusegawa who was a rookie, fresh out of High School. Mutsumi was supposed to be in the same predicament as him, being a second year _ronin_, and yet her scores were high too.

An image of his five year old self appeared in his mind, angry tears pouring down his cheeks, shouting,_ "It's not fair! I always try the hardest and nothing ever seems to come from it!"_

Keitaro knew that he should not make such a big deal about it, after all this was only a practice test. But it was an accurate simulation of the mock exam just like the mock exam was an accurate simulation of the official entrance exam. This practice test was basically the mock exam to the mock exam. If he had received a 75 his practice test, chances were high he would receive a 75 on the mock exam which meant that he would most likely receive a 75 on the entrance exam. Who knew if that was enough get accepted? The cutoff point seemed to get higher and higher every year for Tokyo U.

Keitaro chose to get off at the next stop, not realizing it was one he had gotten off on regularly in the last few months. A couple of city blocks later, he found himself looking up at his Prep School building, wondering how he had wound up there, and then remembered the test, still clutched tightly in his hand.

He made his way inside, where he happened to see Hayate locking the classroom door to leave. Keitaro noisily cleared his throat, getting his teacher's attention.

"Keitaro, can I help you with something?"

"…can you help me with something?"

An amused smile came upon Hayate's lips. "As long as you're willing to put in the time and effort, Keitaro." He unlocked the door and led Keitaro into the classroom.

"So what is it that you would like to cover today?" Hayate asked, taking a seat at the front desk.

Keitaro laid the practice test in front of him. "Can you help me go over this?"

Hayate asked for the answer sheet along with the test, and with a permanent red pen, he skimmed through it, marking and circling something on all the missed questions.

"It's the simple mistakes that'll kill you."

Keitaro looked up. "Huh?"

"Each question on the test is a process involving many steps. You may get all the steps right, but if you screw up on the very last one, even if its one decimal point—it's wrong."

Keitaro waited for him to elaborate.

"When you get to the level of higher learning such a competitive colleges and universities, nearly everyone is highly ambitious, motivated, and intelligent," Hayate explained. "Many of the people competing with you to get into Tokyo U were at the very top of their high schools, with the best grades…however, I pose a question to you, Keitaro---when you get up to such a high level and have a limited amount of openings, how do you sort through so many capable people and choose only the elite, the best of the best?"

Keitaro's response was instant. "You put them through tests."

"Exactly," Hayate confirmed. "Tests are designed to trap and ensnare you, multiple choice tests are especially difficult, though most people seem to think their easier—what they fail to realize is that each multiple choice answer is created to deliberately look right, if you make even the slightest error, it's game over," he gestured Keitaro to his side of the desk so that they would be sitting side by side.

"Look here Keitaro, the answer that you got for number thirteen was 18592, which is absolutely correct—the answer you circled was choice B which read 18529," Hayate flipped the page and pointed to another question. "Over here on the English section, it asked for the antonyms of the word and you circled the synonyms, you did the same mistake with the English homophones and homonyms, you reversed them completely, getting them all wrong."

With the sheer simplicity of his mistakes brought to light, Keitaro did not know whether he felt better since this was confirmation that he truly did understand the concepts—or worse since all of his errors were so mediocre that it was enough to make a third grader laugh. It was absolutely absurd; he swore he had put his undivided attention during the test, however admitting that now would be embarrassing. Perhaps he had gone too fast, he did end up having a lot (possibly too much) of time to spare, finishing long before Naru and Mutsumi. Plus there had been the whole confusion with accidentally skipping number fifteen. All these small factors musts have added up, throwing him off immensely.

Hayate turned to the final page. "This is the most difficult part of the test, the free response section. Your mistake here was that it asked you to find the volume of the solid with the shell method using the equation y4 for the axis of revolution, you used the x axis instead—and on the final question, which I believe is the most difficult problem on here, you accidentally solved for the equation of the tangent line instead of the secant line."

Keitaro could only gape idiotically at his test, rereading the final question continuously; each time his eyes fell upon the word 'secant', he wanted to scream out on how his brain could possibly have **ever** confused it with 'tangent'. Even when everything had been within his grasp, he had royally screwed it up. He had made **stupid mistakes**…ridiculous, moronic, idiotic mistakes.

Behind his closed lips, Keitaro's teeth were gritting fiercely, he wanted to reach out and rip, tear (with his teeth) the test in to microscopic shreds. A painful adrenaline rush coursed through his body as he felt the dire need to justify this…this atrocity; he would never be able to live with himself if he did not.

Keitaro began talking a mile a minute, as if he had just swallowed a quart of caffeine. "What if I went back and redid the test, I don't remember any of the answers and I bet my score will be much higher this time, as a matter of fact, let me do that right now and show you—"

"Don't do this to yourself," Hayate warned. "What's done is done, you've already seen your mistakes, retaking the test wouldn't prove anything. You'll just be beating yourself up further. It's obvious you'd get a higher score this time, you already know everything on it."

The logic calmed Keitaro down considerably, but he would not let up. "But…but I have to know before the mock exams that I can do this…I have to prove to myself that I can do this."

Hayate squinted at Keitaro. "You still don't understand the root of what's going on. You're failing to make the one connection that all of your mistakes have in common."

"What do you mean?"

Nearly a minute of silence went by in which Hayate waited, hoping that Keitaro would realize the answer for himself. To his disappointment, Keitaro simply continued to give him a blank stare. Finally, Hayate said, "Take a seat, I've got a test I want you to take."

"Umm…okay."

Out of pure habit, Keitaro went to his assigned seat from class. A few moments later, Hayate placed a test in front of him. "You may begin," he instructed plainly.

Quickly jotting his name down at the top of the paper, Keitaro dove into the first question. Hyped up and ready, he was desperate to prove himself, his previous blunder still very fresh in his mind. This time around, he put scrutinizing attention on all of his work answers and calculations. It was a good thing too, because in a number of instances, he caught himself misreading a question, forgetting a decimal point, picking the wrong letter, and much to his chagrin, he almost skipped over a number again, this time number twenty-two.

Other than that, he experienced little difficulty, choosing once again to answer every single question.

Once finished, he triple checked his work and approached Hayate, who was at the front desk waiting with the utmost patience. Keitaro smiled confidently, handing the test to him.

Without so much as blinking, Hayate took off the top of his red pen and wrote a huge 'F' at the top of the test, giving it right back to Keitaro. "You're just not getting it Keitaro, you still haven't caught on to your mistake yet, so yes you fail."

Keitaro's fist tightened, scrunching the test in his hand.

"Think about it. You've been practicing the same stuff over and over again to the point that it's gotten redundant for you. Don't get me wrong, it's very important that you continue to practice and study, but in order for you to succeed you've got to know **what** it is that you need practice. There's no point in adding one plus one over and over again."

"The questions on the mock exam won't get any harder than this, do you understand?"

Obviously, Hayate was blatantly trying to hint at something, but Keitaro had not idea as to what it was. His teacher had always been helpful, never rushing anything Keitaro struggled with, but suddenly it seemed as though Hayate's infinite sea of patience had evaporated, and was trying to force the results out of Keitaro. The question still hung in the air.

"How is giving me an 'F' going to help me understand anything?" Keitaro demanded. "Just give me back my test, which was a respectable passing grade of a 'C' I might add."

Keitaro all but yanked his test back from Hayate's hands, and was about to crumple the one he had just taken when Hayate stopped him.

"Don't throw the test away, Keitaro, keep it with you. You'll be glad you didn't…trust me."

Keitaro gave him a scathing look, but grudgingly complied, departing from the prep school with a test in each hand, feeling more tired than ever. Lately, as the date of the mock exams crawled closer, sleep had dropped to the bottom of his priority list. His insomniac tendencies were beginning to get the best of him, his body practically screamed for a rest, and Keitaro greatly looked forward of getting an actual full night's of sleep.

But when he returned to Hinata Sou, slipping into his room without encountering any of the residents, he could not get relaxed enough to fall asleep, the same adrenaline induced feeling of desperation he had experienced earlier coursed through veins. In an agonizing twist of irony he was put into a mixed state of extreme exhaustion and high strung alertness.

He was unable to shake off the growing sense that there was something inherently important that was left unfinished in his studies, some issue he had not covered. He lay there on the futon staring at the ceiling, his eyes refusing to close.

The realization that he would not sleep tonight forced him to get up and move to his desk, where he brought out the entirety of his work from the past two years, every single workbook, study guide, quiz and practice test, none of them had been discarded. For old time sake, he then proceeded to conduct a full overview, skimming through the pages, occasionally comparing and contrasting his mistakes, and writing brief notes on the patterns they shared.

It was as though he were unraveling the timeline of his the previous two years, in somewhat a chronological order, the dates on the assignments jumping back and forth between dates. Somewhere along the line he came across his prior mock exam scores, and although he felt a slight revulsion, he forced himself to read through them again, ignoring the fact he already knew them by heart.

_School Name: Tokyo University, Evaluation: D, Score: 49, Chance Of Passing: 0, National Rank: 36,492 out of 38,635 _

_Overall Evaluation: Severe deficiency in all areas of Math, English, Science, and History. You may wish to change your desired school. You did not pass. You efforts are futile._

Keitaro wanted so badly to rip it in two, but could not bring himself to do it, simply tossing the to the side instead. As much as it pained him to admit it, these scores were a part of his past, a part of him, attesting to his failed efforts from the years past.

_What else is there that I'm supposed to practice? _He asked himself. Hayate's words from earlier swarmed like a hive of angry bees through his head, mentally stinging him over and over. Keitaro haphazardly began looking through the test and without being fully aware of it, he redid the first question, then the second question, and the third one, and the fourth one… pretty soon he had redone the whole test. When he compared the new answers to his initial ones, he was shocked to find that they were completely identical, even his work matched up perfectly.

What did this mean? Was it possible that he had made the **exact** same mistakes as before? The odds of that were slim to none, and it still did not explain why Hayate had failed him instantaneously.

After a third repeat, Keitaro got the same answers again, throwing out the conclusion that he had been making the same mistakes, or any mistakes at all for that matter, but remained at a loss on what he was supposed to do next. It was as if he was missing the piece to a puzzle, he knew what the picture would look like in the end, but without the missing piece there was no way to complete it. Keitaro had a hunch that it was on this test; it must have been the reason why Hayate was so adamant about Keitaro taking it with him. Now it was up to Keitaro to locate it.

_Maybe if I tried looking at it from a different perspective?_

Keitaro pinned the test onto the blank wall, noticing with a wry smile that it was the first decorative piece in his room. He lit a cigarette with the lighter he had acquired from Seta and gently crossed his legs as he positioned himself approximately two feet from the test's location. For the duration of the night, he remained there and by sunrise, he had smoked through an entire carton.

Later on in that same morning, the final class of their Prep School was held. There was no lecture, no new material to be taught. In the shortened class period, their assignments from the past three months were returned to them, and since there was no actual teaching going on, it was basically a free period with the students were scattered about the classroom, standing in groups. Keitaro, knowing that there was no privacy in the crowded classroom where everyone was busy showing off their scores, stuffed his into his back.

He saw Mutsumi and Naru walking towards him from the left, and Haitani and Shirai coming towards him from the right. But before any of them could reach Keitaro, Hayate cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Everyone please take a seat wherever you are! I'd like to have one last word with you all before you leave!"

To Keitaro's relief, a stream of their classmates swarmed through the middle, blocking him from Shirai, Haitani, Naru and Mutsumi's sights. Using this opportunity, Keitaro discreetly slipped into the crowd, moving to far as away as possible, and incidentally ended up sitting at the seat closest to the door.

Once everyone had settled down, Hayate took the time to meaningfully look through the sea of students, making eye contact with as many students possible; his gaze gradually traveled from left to right, back to front, which coincidentally made Keitaro the last person, sitting on the very front right side of the room. Keitaro could swear that Hayate's eyes lingered on him for a split second longer than anyone else.

"We've come a long way since the first day," Hayate began. "This was not a graded course. It was designed to help you to prepare for the entrance exams for the Universities that you'd like to apply for, whichever ones those may be. I wish you all the best of luck, and remember to have patience. The fruits of your labor will blossom, just give it some time. In order to reach a goal, there are many steps one must take to gradually advance toward it. You're all practicing taking steps toward your academic goals at this very moment; this class is nothing more than one of the steps you are taking to move forward.

"I'd like to leave you all with a piece of advice, knowing **how** to take a test is just as important as knowing the concepts, remember to follow directions and pay very close attention to every single detail, it can mean the difference between being accepted and rejected… it's all about the test mechanics."

He smiled, and gave a careless wave of his hand, signaling to the students that they were dismissed.

Though Hayate did not look at him, Keitaro held a strong feeling that the last statement had been directed toward him, a clue as to why he had failed him yesterday. But perhaps Keitaro was placing too much importance on himself, there were nearly forty other students in the class, it would be egotistical to think that he was the only one being addressed. Since he had already put his papers away, Keitaro was the first person out the door. Every second absolutely counted now, tomorrow was the mock exam, and he had never felt so unprepared in his life. If he wanted something to happen, today was the day to do it.

He made it back to Hinata Sou, and to his room in record time, the failed test from the day before still hanging on the wall, still plaguing his thoughts. He roughly seized it from the wall, creating a small tear on the top from where the pin had held it in place.

_Test mechanics, huh? Alright, I'm going to redo this test one more time, if I get the same answers again, well then I'm going to take this test and shove it down his throat._

Just before he started on what would be his fourth retry, he absently traced the length of the tear, and then suddenly stopped, leaning in to take a closer look. Right underneath the end of the tear was a small box with printed text written in a thick black bolded font. Keitaro certainly remembered seeing it before, but he had merely glanced at it and had proceeded to take the test without a giving it a second thought, never really paying any attention to it, until now. The text inside the box read:

**Directions: To receive full credit on this exam, simply write your name at the top of your test and turn it in. Do NOT answer any of the questions; doing so will result in automatic failure. This exam is to test if you can follow directions, which are by far the most overlooked part of any exam, though the importance they carry is critical, it can mean the difference between passing and failing.**

Keitaro reread again in partial disbelief, his foolishness infuriating him to previously unknown heights. Something so simple, so obvious and yet he had overlooked it, not once, but repeatedly, even after he had told himself to stop rushing through his tests.

_I'm so stupid, I can't believe it…right there in front of me, plain as day…that's the connection Hayate was trying to tell me. All the questions I got wrong, it was because I didn't bother to read the directions…what a lame way to fail…_

All of a sudden, the tension that had pent up within him from the past weeks finally loosened up, his body gently growing into a relaxed state. His eyelids began to droop, but before he succumbed to the sleep his body had craved for so long, he checked the clock. It was 1:00 pm in the afternoon.

_I really should get to studying, review everything one more time…_He let out a jaw splitting yawn.

Unlike the day before when he had wanted to fall asleep but could not, what he felt now was a complete reversal of that. He wanted so much to stay awake, but his body seemed to have an agenda of its own. Keitaro eventually gave in, and surprisingly he did it willingly. The unbearable sensation of restlessness he had been experiencing had finally dissipated, replaced with contentment. He was satisfied now; the missing piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place. He had practiced the concepts, and like Hayate had said, Keitaro had gone beyond just completing practice problems. He had practiced paying close attention to his work, and he had practiced learning how to follow directions. He had done all that he could, now all that remained to be seen was whether or not it would be enough.

Keitaro was too tired to think anymore, too fatigued to care about anything at the moment, and drifted instantly into a slumber right then and there.

**-------------------------------**

After much anticipation, the big day had at last arrived. Mutsumi showed up at Hinata Sou bright and early in the morning, joining the tenants for breakfast upon Naru and Shinobu's insistence, and was introduced to Sarah and Motoko, the two residents she had not met on her last visit. As they all ate at the table, Mutsumi and Naru nodded politely to the specific brands of advice offered to them by Motoko and Kitsune, and the encouragement from Su and Shinobu. Sarah simply told them that they were stupid if they failed. Everyone was present and accounted for, except of course, Keitaro, which was not anything new. At Hinata Sou, Keitaro was given more than enough space, and ate according to his own timetable.

However, when Keitaro continued to remain conspicuously absent after breakfast, an unshakable feeling as though something was wrong came over them. Mutsumi, and Naru decided to go find him and went up to his room, followed hesitantly by the others. They all hung back behind Mutsumi while she knocked on the door several times without getting a response. She suggested opening the door, they all became exceedingly reluctant, especially Naru.

Mutsumi simply waved it off, and opened the door anyways, calling out his name softly. "Keitaro-kun, are you ready? It's time to go."

The sight before them caused a sudden a sudden rush of heat to their faces. There lay Keitaro in a deep sleep, curled into a childlike fetal position on the hardwood floor next to his desk. His futon lay empty at the opposite end of the room, the blankets neatly folded as though they had not been used in days. Keitaro looked so incredibly innocent and helpless, inhaling and exhaling softly in a rhythmic pattern, his glasses half tilted off his face, his hair ruffled in every direction, and his t-shirt hiked up past his slender abdomen.

Everyone stood gawking, put under the spell of raging hormones, until Mutsumi finally reacted. "Oh my, you're going to catch a cold like that." She went in and kneeled beside him, pulling his shirt back down before she gently shook him. "Keitaro-kun, you have to wake up."

Keitaro's body, trying to make up for all of the sleep he had missed, did not rouse so easily. However he did instinctively realize the contrast between the hard floor and the soft presence beside him, and he unconsciously reached out to use it as a pillow.

"Ara!" Mutsumi gasped as Keitaro, still fast asleep, suddenly grabbed her and brought her closer to him, snuggling his head onto her lap.

"What is he doing?" Motoko hissed angrily, though she made no move. Kitsune, who was standing right beside the swordswoman, noticed an intriguing observable fact. Motoko's piercing glare seemed to be directed at Mutsumi instead of Keitaro.

Naru's eyebrow twitched and she immediately went in. "Hey, come on now, you've really got to wake up, or we're going to be late for the **mock exam**."

Keitaro awoke in an instant when his brain registered Naru's last two words.

"The mock exam? Damn, I didn't miss it, did I?" He then noticed where his head was resting and immediately recoiled back three feet, but his mind remained stuck on the one subject. "Please don't tell me I slept through the mock exams!"

"It's okay, we have still have enough time to make it, but you've got to hurry," Mutsumi assured him.

His erratic breathing calmed down, but then realized that all the tenants were standing outside the door and that Mutsumi and Naru were inside his room. He did not bother asking what everyone was doing by his room; he needed to get ready immediately, except that there was just one problem. "Could I get some privacy!" he snapped urgently.

"Oh right," Mutsumi giggled. "We'll be downstairs, waiting."

As soon as they were gone, Keitaro jumped up and closed his door. Scrambling around for an outfit and bath supplies, Keitaro checked the clock, 9:30 am. He had slept for sixteen hours straight, and there remained barely a half hour before the exam. He rushed to the third floor private bath and took an agonizingly freezing cold bath to help break out of his lethargic state, but it was worth it because he stepped out fresh and bursting with energy, a night (plus half a day) of sleep did wonders. He met with Mutsumi and Naru in the lobby, picking up a couple of apples on the way out, consuming the pieces of fruit on the short train ride to a neighboring town where they got off and headed for the K-building, the site of the mock examinations.

"I've been wondering, why aren't the mock exams being held at Tokyo U?" asked Mutsumi.

"Depending on the area you live in, they have designated test sites for those taking the Tokyo U mock exam because the sheer amount of people taking it is simply way too much of one building," Naru explained, as they made their way into the main lobby. "Applicants from all over Japan are going to be taking it. The reason why the actual entrance exams are taken at Tokyo U is because most kids with average and below scores usually get weeded out and don't bother take the Tokyo U entrance exam because they know the chances of them passing the exam are extremely low."

Keitaro's expression hardened considerably at that, although neither Mutsumi nor Naru noticed. They were now the latest additions to a stream of students standing in line while a stern woman in an office skirt and blouse to check for their exam tickets.

"Hello! How're you?" Mutsumi greeted when it was her turn, presenting her exam ticket; she was rudely pushed inside by the woman who called out for the next person. Naru showed the woman her ticket, nodded curtly and proceeded in, the Keitaro stepped forward with his ticket. The woman snatched it from him and seemed to take abnormally long, examining it in great detail. Keitaro was about to ask what the problem was, but the swallowed his words at the piercing look she gave him.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked coldly.

Afraid that something had gone horribly wrong, Keitaro shook his head numbly, fearing for the worst possible scenario, a tight knot forming in his stomach. He was half expecting her to say that his ticket had become invalidated.

"3:01 is past the registration deadline," she whispered.

Suddenly, he felt as though an electrical charge had passed through him, his eyes widened in recognition. "You're…that secretary--"

"I got promoted to examiner," she cut in and threw his ticket onto the ground. "Pick it up, and be grateful that I didn't send your sorry ass home."

The line of students behind him had become dead silent, their attention solely focused on Keitaro, with mixtures of amusement, pity and impatience adorning their faces. At the examiner's complete mercy, Keitaro bent down and picked up his ticket, and quietly walked into the classroom, keeping his eyes fixed to the ground, ignoring Mutsumi and Naru voices when they called out to him from a table in the front. He found an isolated table at the back corner of the room, and sat down. Regardless of the fact that nobody in the classroom had witnessed what had happened, the brutal sting of humiliation penetrated through his skin like a ferocious bite, further intensifying when the people who had been in line behind him came into the room.

He closed his eyes, effectively shutting out the world around him, and made a vow._ No matter what score I get on this mock exam, I'll still take the Tokyo U entrance exam…I __**promise **__this to __**myself**__…_ Without realizing it, his left pinky had clasped around his right pinky, as if to seal the promise he had made.

"What're you doing?" Naru's asked, sitting to his left all of a sudden.

"Are you meditating?" Mutsumi was sitting to his right. "I've never seen that kind of hand symbol before."

"Why'd you two move back here?" Keitaro asked, slightly irritated of having his 'alone time' interrupted.

Mutsumi looked at him as though he had asked the dumbest question in the world. "We're a team! We've got to stick together for support."

"It's obvious that you've been stressing like crazy," Naru added. "We'd have to be really dense not to notice."

Keitaro was taken aback. _Am I really that easy to read?_ "What makes you say that?"

Naru raised her eyebrows. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"

Mutsumi clarified. "You really worried me and Naru, the way you suddenly ran off after the practice test…we're concerned about you."

"You were worried too?" Keitaro asked Naru in almost an accusing tone. He would have expecting this kind of thing from Mutsumi, but Naru?

Naru blushed, averting her eyes. Before Keitaro could ask her again, the test examiner spoke up.

"Everyone, pay close attention!" she declared in a shrill authoritative voice. "Get out any materials that you will use on your test now, you will not be allowed to reach into your backpack for any reason during any time of the test."

The sole sound in the room was the clacking of high heeled shoes, as the test examiner paced down the classroom, inspecting everybody. She cast a highly suspicious look at the table where Mutsumi, Naru and Keitaro were at.

"I'd like to remind you all that anyone who is caught cheating will receive extreme consequences. I'll be keeping a hawk's eye on you all to ensure academic honesty."

Once again she looked straight at them, and although there were other empty tables in the room, the test examiner did not separate them. She passed out the test booklets and the answer sheets.

"You may begin on my count," her heels clicked against the floor until she was at the front and center of the room. Her gaze swept through them once more before giving them permission. "Begin."

Keitaro stared blankly at his test, his mind going into an overload in an attempt to come to terms with what he had just heard. This was the worst possible time for such a revelation; Keitaro could not afford to be distracted, especially not during the mock exam.

_They worry about me? They were concerned about me? They care…about…me?_

The concept was so foreign to him that he had trouble putting the words together in his head. Keitaro had not realized his actions and behavior had impacted them, or maybe he did subconsciously, but simply did not care enough to bother with it. Long gone were the days in which he would wait on everyone hand and foot, nowadays it was all about him, he could not care less about anyone else.

An image of his five year old self appeared in his mind, pouting. _And that's how it should be! Nobody, not even your own family gave a damn about you. You're all you've got, cherish yourself…guard yourself as you would a precious jewel… _

Keitaro had grown so absorbed within himself, so lost in his own universe, so madly obsessed with his ambition that he had scarcely spared any consideration to the people around him, and it was not just Naru and Mutsumi. The tenants whom it was his duty to accommodate had become mere afterthoughts to him, nothing more than dead weight whose presence merely filled in the vast empty space of Hinata Sou. Whether they lived or died, it bore no affect him; his only responsibility to them was collecting the rent and enforcing 'his' law. Anything else they did was not his concern; he wanted nothing to do with them. They were just a burden that would keep him from accomplishing his dreams.

The image of the five year old Keitaro gave him another piece of advice. _If you don't look out for yourself, nobody else will… _

No, that was not true. What about Mutsumi…what about Naru? Were it not for them, he would have slept through the mock exams, but they had woken him up without any thought of personal gain.

They shared a bond, they were a team. They had each others backs. Even Naru—Keitaro had not trusted her, but perhaps she deserved a second chance, though he would never forget…perhaps he could find it within himself to forgive.

Suddenly he experienced sharp poke on both of his ribs, throwing him back into the real world. He looked down, seeing two feminine elbows withdrawing and turned to his to his right at Naru who soundlessly jabbed her pencil at the test then at the clock on the wall. He had wasted close to fifteen minutes in his catatonic state. He then turned to his left at Mutsumi who smiled encouragingly and gave him a victory sign.

_You're more valuable than you realize… protect yourself…They all want you— you don't realize it…But you can't let them…don't let them get near… _The five year old Keitaro warned, before fading away from his thoughts.

Keitaro picked up his pencil, taking a deep breath. Hayate had said to take steps to reach a goal and if he treated each question on the test as a small goal he wanted to achieve, he could tackle each part one step at a time, starting with the directions.

_Every small goal accomplished is a step in trying to reach a larger goal…_

**-------------------------------**

For Keitaro, the week following week before the scores would be posted proved to be almost as stressing as taking the test had been. Suddenly, he had gone from being constantly busy and working, to having nothing to do at all. There was little he could find to occupy his free time and so he had called up his two best friends, who happened have the day off from work and were more than happy to spend some quality time with their friend, Keitaro…on one condition.

"Those conniving bastards…"

Keitaro could not believe he had let himself be suckered into going all the way to pick up Haitani and Shirai. He was back in his hometown, and although most of his memories from this place were unpleasant, a wave of nostalgia washed over him, especially when he walked past a very familiar store as he walked through the marketplace. He stopped and considered going inside, but then changed his mind.

He met with Haitani and Shirai at Shirai's house and the three of them began throwing out ideas on what to do for the day. Keitaro suggested they go to Neverland, but this was firmly shot down by Haitani and Shirai who said the last place they wanted to go to relax was the place they worked at.

When they reached the marketplace, Keitaro's attention once again fixated to the store he had seen earlier, the conversation he was having with Haitani and Shirai drifting into background noise. "Can you guys wait here for a minute?" Keitaro requested. Without waiting for their response, he hesitantly approached the shop.

"Where're you—" Haitani quieted when Shirai nudged him in the ribs and nodded toward the sign. Haitani read it and finally understood. "Oh…"

The ringing of the chimes sounded as Keitaro opened the door and walked inside. The inside was unusually crowded, from what he remembered. Keitaro saw his father and watched on as he tended to the customers. Here, his father was in his element, and showed complete control, the exact reverse of how he was like at home. Even as the customers poured in, his father handled everything with relative ease, multitasking all at once with taking orders, baking, and packaging.

His father was smiling, which caused the sides of his eyes to crinkle, Keitaro could tell that even though he was on the other end of the shop. Secretly, Keitaro had always wished to have taken on more after his father, who even in his early forties looked as youthful as ever, jet black hair, an agile runner like athletic build, flawless skin, no aging lines on his face. It was ironic how his demure personality contradicted so much from his appearance. Now that Keitaro thought about it, it was obvious it that Haruka and his father were siblings, they looked so much alike, even if their personalities were polar opposites. Keitaro wondered if his father and Haruka took after Granny Hina, whom he had heard was incredibly attractive when she was younger and had even been referred to as the town beauty.

The thing that struck Keitaro the most was that his father looked genuinely happy…'**coincidentally**' his mother was not anywhere in sight. As the rush slowly began to die down, Keitaro decided that it was time to go, discreetly slipping out the door, the bells still jingling from a woman who had recently entered.

Surprisingly, Haitani did not complain when he joined them again outside, he and Shirai had finally come to a decision on what they wanted to do. "We're taking you to the mall!" Haitani exclaimed. "You need some new clothes and me and Shirai are going to be your fashion consultants, you're buying your own stuff of course."

It was just like high school days again, when they had not been fighting. Keitaro did experience a slight anxiety of 'study withdrawal', he had grown so used to studying all the time that it felt strange not to. But he forced himself to relax a little; he would take it easy until Saturday, when he would go to pick up his scores for the mock exam. During their tour of the mall, Keitaro spent a great deal of time in the fitting room, trying on a wide assortment of the 'latest fashions' according to his friends, some clothes so baggy that Keitaro thought they were more suited for an elephant while some were so tight, that they tightly hugged onto his frame like a second skin, nearly cutting off blood circulation.

Despite his friend's fashion advice, Keitaro purchased the outfits of his choice, along with two new suits. They were just on their way out, when Keitaro froze in his tracks, his heart leaping. "You guys look--a photo booth! Let's take a picture."

"You're joking, right? Photo booths are your obsession, Keitaro, don't drag me into it," countered Haitani.

"Yeah, they're kind of a dead fad now," said Shirai.

Appealing to their love of free stuff, Keitaro managed to convince them with the offer to buy lunch and they finally got their picture taken, though as soon as they got out, Haitani tried to put as much distance as he could between them and the photo booth. By the time they left, their shopping spree had caused them to miss lunch, and they retired to the teahouse in the evening for dinner instead. Since the teahouse was currently under heavy construction, only a small portion remained open to the public. Keitaro was amazed when they walked in that there were any customers at all, the earth shattering noise of the cranes outside was enough to give him a migraine.

A tart young man devoid of any enthusiasm greeted them. "Hello and welcome to the Hinata Teahouse—soon to the Hinata Tea Palace. This way to your table…" it looked as though he had swallowed a bowling ball and was trying to spit it out "…sirs."

"Have we met?" asked Keitaro, "You look familiar."

The waiter suddenly began twisting around, desperately attempting to cover his face. "No, no, we've never met, I'm just a humble waiter that happens to bear a resemblance to a famous, talented young businessman—but I'm not him. Don't tell anybody that you've seen me here either, it could fatally damage my---I mean **his **reputation."

"Who in the hell are you talking about?" Haitani asked. "What famous businessman…? Wait a minute---I've seen you before!"

"No!" the waiter covered his face with his arms. "No you haven't! You've never seen in before, like I told you earlier I'm not---"

"Kentaro!" Haruka's voice boomed across the teahouse. "Get over here!"

The waiter flinched, and then tried to sputter out another denial.

"Sakata, Kentaro!" Keitaro exclaimed. "I knew you looked familiar, I still have your card."

Kentaro finally gave up, he had been found out. He leaned in close to them, his expression turning serious. "Listen, do you guys know someone named Naru--" Kentaro suddenly grimaced in pain.

Haruka stepped out from behind him, gripping him by the ear. "No socializing while at work, Kentaro—I'm docking your pay."

"Ow!" Kentaro yelped as she painfully twisted his ear, forcing him to turn to the direction she wanted him to look at. "Go help those customers over there." Haruka released her hold and sent him away. "I finally got around to hiring some help," she told a confused Keitaro.

"So then, what'll it be for you boys?" Haruka inquired, whipping out a small pad from her apron, writing down Haitani, Shirai and Keitaro's orders. "Your food should be ready in five minutes," she said before heading off to tend to another customer.

Haitani's eyes had glazed over, a dreamy expression coming across his features. "Keitaro, you're aunt is totally gorgeous!"

"Oh great, here we go again," Shirai groaned. "I thought you had gotten over the 'older woman' phase."

**-------------------------------**

The anticipation of his score gnawed at Keitaro for the rest of the week. He forced himself to relax and take it easy, and in an ironic twist, he was stopping himself whenever he came close to opening a textbook. On the days passing, Keitaro enrolled Sarah into an elementary school and treated her out to ice cream afterwards, making her promise that she would not ditch, or get into any fights. On the nights, however, his body had grown accustomed to no longer sleeping very much, so in order to kill time, he reread through his textbooks since there was not anything better to do. During the short amount of time he did sleep, even his dreams consisted of the mock exams.

"_Kei-kun, what's that in your hand?" The little promised girl called to him from the playground._

_The five year old Keitaro was holding an envelope in his hand examining it curiously. "I think it's my score from the mock exam," he said uncertainly._

"_Let's open it together," the little girl suggested. Together, they tore the top of the envelope and pulled out the paper._

"_It's…it's…whoa!"_

Keitaro jolted up from the futon, aggravated to no end that the dream had ended at the best part, which all of his dreams always seemed to do. Part of him considered this a good thing because if he had seen the score and it was low, it might have been a bad omen, and although that meant the reverse would be true as well, Keitaro dismissed his superstitions. Whatever score he received would be the score he deserved, if he was still messing up after all this time, well then he deserved to fail.

He knew that he had promised Naru and Mutsumi that he would go with them to get their results, but the suspense was killing him, he could not bear to wait any longer and left for the train station. Fortunately, the mock exam scores were located nearby, in the same neighboring town where the mock exams had been held.

"Hey, old man!" Keitaro demanded as he marched into the reception area of the office, his manners temporarily forgotten. "Urashima, Keitaro—ID number 93752."

"Okay, okay, take it easy, young'n, I'll get it for you." The old man moved down the aisle to the letter 'U' scrolling down, until he took out an envelope.

"Here you go."

"Thanks," Keitaro rushed out of the building, and hesitated for a moment, running his fingers across the edges and corners of the envelope. He closed his eyes, remembering the promise he had made to himself, and tore the top open. His eyes fell upon his score…his hands started to tremble…

_No…no, this can't be…oh God please…_

Ten seconds later, pedestrians saw a crazed looking young man in glasses sprinting, full throttle down the street. One man claimed to have seen him running while he was on the train to work and when he got off on his stop fourteen city blocks later, he saw the same young man dashing past his office an hour later.

**-------------------------------**


	17. Distant Relative

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 16: Distant Relative**

Experienced athletes were fully aware of the dire importance in pacing themselves when undergoing a marathon run. Intense physical training provided them with the proper conditioning necessary to build solid endurance and stamina that allowed them to withstand such long distances.

Keitaro, on the other hand, had gone through the past months without any sort of rigorous exercise, confined to a desk, the only muscle receiving a workout being his brain and even that was debatable. His body was nowhere near conditioned enough for the torturous sixteen block sprint he had put it through, and with the initial rush of adrenaline beginning to wear off, he was now paying the consequences for his brash actions. Breathlessly he stormed into the hallway of the prep school building, his oxygen deprivation making it seem as though he was viewing his surroundings through a kaleidoscope.

"H-h-hayate!" he croaked, his lungs to the point of puncturing. Suddenly, Keitaro's legs partially gave out from under him, forcing him to roughly slam his shoulder against the wall to help steady himself.

"H-hayate, a-are…y-you there?!" Keitaro's voice came out in shallow weak pants, his breathing hitching every so often.

Just like the previous time, Hayate happened to have been locking the door to the classroom and was on his way out. As he struggled to maintain focus, Keitaro sardonically reflected on how it seemed as though he always somehow managed to catch his teacher at the last minute. A twinge of guilt passed through him when he realized just how often he had imposed on Hayate. It really was not fair; Hayate did have a life outside of the classroom after all.

However, if Keitaro was planning on leaving, then he should have done it earlier. Hayate had already noticed his student's terrible physical state and was at his side in a matter of moments. "Keitaro--what happened to you?"

Keitaro winced at the rawness of his throat, which was mostly likely cut up on the inside. His lungs were burning and each gasping breath he took felt like he was swallowing knives. He only had enough energy to weakly wave the paper in his hand.

Giving him a worried look, Hayate gently took the paper from him and read through it, his expression softening. "I don't understand--"

"Could you read it aloud?" Keitaro wheezed. "I—I just want to make sure, I d-didn't…misread…"

Hayate seemed positively puzzled, nevertheless straightening out the paper and reciting what was written.

"School Name: Tokyo University, Evaluation: A+, Score: 99, Chance Of Passing: 100, National Rank: 1 out of 39,428 …Overall Evaluation: Complete mastery in all areas of Math, English, Science, and History. Student may be eligible for full ride scholarship."

"So, it wasn't just another dream then?" Keitaro grinned in spite of his condition. A large part of him still believed that he was in his room sleeping and that he would wake up a few moments ending the wonderfully pleasant, yet implausible dream he was having. He had run extra hard and extra long to the prep school to just make sure that he truly was awake, but not even the brutal stitch on his side had been enough to convince him of that.

Hayate could see the denial etched on Keitaro as plain as day. "Do you want me to read it again? It's not a misprint or a forgery."

"It's just that I would've never thought… I'd…" Keitaro was no longer winded, his breathing had returned to normal, and his body had already nearly finished recovering from his disheveled state. But his incoherent quavering voice now accredited to a small case of mental lapses. His thoughts were in a blur, scattered in every which direction. All sorts of insane prospects and crazy conspiracy theories as to how he could have received began to hatch, proving just how imaginative Keitaro could be.

If there was one prominent thing that Keitaro bashed himself about, it was his grades. It had always been a sensitive topic for him and even when he gained his newfound confidence, this was one of the few things that he could not seem to get over. And he was proving once again, that this insecurity was as deeply instilled in him as ever. The worst part was that he knew what he was doing to himself but that did not help make matters any easier, his denial seemed to go beyond rationality and he found himself unable to control it.

His long record of failures and disappointment emerged from deep within, wrapping around his heart, reminding him that things like this just did not happen…not to someone like him.

"What if it's a mistake?"

"What if it's not?" Hayate countered.

"But what if it is?" Keitaro insisted.

"I think you underestimate yourself far too much. Somebody has to get the highest score, why can't it be you?"

"I'd really like to think…to believe…but you have to admit, the idea of me ranking number one is pretty farfetched, maybe even inconceivable."

"Why would you say that?" Hayate gently prodded.

"I don't know…I mean come on, who'd expect **me** to--"

"I would."

Keitaro was surprised at the serious undertone Hayate's voice carried.

"Remember the steps I mentioned that everyone takes to reach their goals? Some people have to take more steps than others and some even have to repeat the same steps over again. Some people just take longer to advance than others. It doesn't mean their any less intelligent, they just have to put in more time and work a lot harder."

"…But don't you think it's unfair that I was the only student who you helped out so much? It's almost like you gave me an unfair advantage."

"No, I don't believe that at all, Keitaro. You were the only one who asked me to give you extra tutoring and you were the only one out of the entire class to come back and ask me to help you. Nobody else was willing to put in the time and effort. I would have helped everyone else out just the same, had they been willing to come forward like you did and be willing to admit that they needed help. **You** deserve this Keitaro, in the end, it was all you."

Hayate handed the paper back to him. "I'm proud of you."

Suddenly, Keitaro's hands began to shake. The anxiety and uncertainty of what would happen, his previous disappointments, that terrible fear of having to live through another year of failure—all of it poured out of him. He had never realized how much he had desired to hear those words…or how big of an effect they would have on him. Without realizing it, Keitaro had finally received approval he had craved for so long, sadly enough, he could not remember the last time somebody had said those words to him.

After all, what was the point of trying if Keitaro did not even have the courage to believe in himself?

Overwhelmed by the wide array of emotions he was experiencing, he could feel inexplicable tears well up in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. His gratitude being beyond words, Keitaro suddenly embraced his teacher—the person who had believed in him more so than even himself.Keitaro was now one step closer to his dream, by this time next year he would be a full time Tokyo U student.

"Keitaro, I'm a married man," he joked in a mock tone, patting his head affectionately.

Keitaro came back to his senses. "I'm sorry," he quickly backed away, his cheeks flushing from his sudden display of emotion and the embarrassment he felt for crying openly in front of his teacher. He wiped his tears away with his sleeve, mentally reprimanding himself for being such an emotional idiot for becoming so worked up over this.

Hayate started laughing and while Keitaro watched him in confusion at first, he found the laughter contagious and was overcome by a fit of giggles of his own. Quite possibly the best tool for diffusing an anguished atmosphere, they were soon buckled over in laughter—not over the joke, but rather it was a way to express their sheer elation of Keitaro's achievement. Keitaro could not really understand it himself, he had gone from an emotional low to an emotional high in such a short period of time.

Although it still seemed so surreal, Keitaro had finally broken free of his uncertainties and came to terms with accepting his accomplishment as reality. Out of everyone who took the test, he had beaten everyone now ranked number one in the nation! He had actually done it! And yes, he did **could **believe it!

Despite his sides beginning to ache from so much mirth, Keitaro had to admit he felt so much better, as though the negative energy had flowed out of him, making him lighter as it took its weight with it. He had a sudden flash of memory to when he had sat in the rain, drenched to the bone after spending the day looking for a job. Kitsune had been right, laughter was the best medicine.

When they had finally gotten the laughter out of their system, Hayate asked, "You got a ninety nine percent, but just out of curiosity, what happened to the other one percent?"

"Umm…" Deciding to omit some of the more personal parts, Keitaro explained, "I kind of zoned out for the first fifteen minutes of the test and the time ran out before I could get to the final question. It was a free response question so I couldn't bubble in a random answer either."

"Ah well, we can't be perfect, but you were damn near close in this case. Actually you technically got every single question you attempted right, so you didn't lose any points but leaving a question out made it so that you couldn't get hundred percent either."

Upon hearing this, Keitaro actually found himself regretting not getting to the last question and made a mental note that when the entrance exam came around, he would not make the same mistake. He planned on shooting for the hundred.

With the greatest care, Keitaro folded the paper back into its envelope. "By the way, I figured out what I did wrong on that 'special' test of yours."

Hayate grinned. "I hope it helped, sorry I didn't tell you how to do it before. It was rather frustrating as to me as a teacher---but in this case, firsthand experience was for the best. I figured it was something you needed to learn on your own."

"Where'd you get the test from?"

"It's just something I put it together in my spare time. Its funny isn't it, how we always seem to overlook the obvious and complicate things more than they really are?"

"Yeah."

Keitaro had really hit the jackpot to have ended up with a teacher like Hayate…how much of a coincidence was it that he would meet someone like him at the point in is life when he had had decided to turn everything around? If Keitaro had not known better, he might have believed that after all these years, fate had finally thrown him a bone.

"Hayate, could you please not tell anybody about my score?"

"Of course, its part of student-teacher confidentiality, consider yourself the only person who knows your mock exam score," Hayate said, then his expression turned thoughtful. "You know what, scratch that, forget the student-teacher policy, the semester's already over---I won't tell anyone is because as fellow human being I respect your request."

Keitaro smiled. "Thank you...for everything…for all your help I mean…" he trailed off. "Even if the semester is over…I think I'll always see myself as your student."

"It was an honor to have taught someone as hardworking and determined as you," Hayate replied. "And I believe that due to your phenomenal score, a celebration is in order. How about you I buy you lunch as a reward for your score?"

For the first time, Keitaro did not argue about someone doing something for him. He felt that he was entitled to a little treat.

**-------------------------------**

Hayate seemed to have their route planned out and they soon arrived at a restaurant not too far from the prep school. Although not a five star material, Keitaro had to admit it was classy, and full of a lot of important looking people—or at least people who thought they were important.

"Do you have a reservation sir?" a hostess asked, approaching them.

"I'm supposed to be meeting someone here," Hayate replied looking around. "Oh, there she is, come on, Keitaro."

From the far corner of the restaurant, Keitaro saw a woman at a table with her waving at them. Following behind Hayate, Keitaro frowned in confusion; he had not been prepared for the possibility of there being another guest.

Curiously, Keitaro observed the guest as they approached the table, and as they got closer his eyes suddenly widened in recognition, but then his brain registered the woman's face, telling him that it was a false alarm. He was merely confusing the woman with somebody else. He had to admit, there was a powerful resemblance, especially the long charcoal black hair and the pale skin, what if they were related? It was quite possible since Keitaro had not seen anyone dress like that except for…

"You ready to order?" Hayate asked the woman with a smile.

The woman tried to frown but it was easy to see through it. "I've been ready for the last fifteen minutes, what took so long?"

"I kind of ran into one of my students, Keitaro," Hayate explained, stepping aside so that the woman could get a better view of the boy.

The woman regarded Keitaro with a polite smile, keeping her eyes on him as she asked Hayate, "Is this the one that kept you working overtime? The star pupil you've been talking nonstop about?"

Keitaro's eyes widened at that. _Me…? His star pupil?_

"Oh, I completely forgot… I haven't even introduced you yet," said Hayate. "Keitaro, I'd like for you to meet my wife Tsuruko—Tsuruko, this is…as you put it, my 'star pupil'."

"Tsuruko?" Keitaro whispered, not realizing he had said it out loud.

"Is something the matter?" the woman now identified as Tsuruko inquired.

"Oh, no it's nothing," Keitaro hastily answered.

The name seemed very familiar, he had read it somewhere, and had a strong inkling that it was in the Hinata Sou tenant profiles. If that was the case, then the outrageous similarity between Tsuruko and Motoko was not a mere coincidence. Still, Keitaro decided to keep this to himself, he did not really know the woman and felt reserved about suddenly starting up a conversation with her, his only motive for being here was because Hayate had invited him.

"I'm glad you could join us, it's a pleasure to meet you Keitaro-san," Tsuruko greeted, extending her hand.

Hayate sighed at Tsuruko's use of the honorific, an action which Tsuruko ignored.

Hesitantly looking at her outstretched hand, Keitaro gave a weak smile, reminding himself that Hayate was standing right beside him. Knowing that it would offend his teacher to refuse her, he reached out and took her hand in his, noting how powerful he grip was, though she seemed to make sure not to squeeze too hard.

"You too, Tsuruko-san," Keitaro replied.

"See, now you've got him doing it too!" Hayate complained.

With the introductions finished, Keitaro took the chair across from Tsuruko and Hayate settled in between them. A waiter came and took their order, assuring them that their food would be ready shortly. And

"S how'd you get them to let you bring your sword in?" Hayate asked, clearly amused.

"The hostess did seem reluctant at first…" Tsuruko seemed to purposely trail off, leaving the rest of what happened to their imagination. "In the olden days, people would welcome samurai with open arms… things have dramatically changed since then, nowadays it's a completely different story, but that's life, you've got to keep up with the times, you can't fall behind."

"You see, Keitaro," Hayate began explaining. "Tsuruko here is currently the head of her clan and the headmaster of the God's Cry School. She primarily trains under the kendo styles and occasionally deals with the paranormal such as demons, spirits, curses and whatnot."

Keitaro politely nodded, inwardly praising himself for his accurate assessment. It was confirmed, Tsuruko was indeed without a doubt, the elder sister that was mentioned under Motoko's name in the profiles. Since Tsuruko made no mention to him about being the landlord of Hinata Sou, Keitaro surmised that Motoko had either chosen not to tell her sister about him, or Motoko and Tsuruko had not been in contact with each for the past three months. Keitaro greatly suspected the second scenario.

"Keitaro you absolutely have to see Tsuruko's pet crane, I did some research and found out that her pet belongs to a particular species of crane is nearly extinct. By the way where is---" Hayate started, but Tsuruko finished his sentence.

"Shippu's outside, flying about, he'll know when we're leaving. They refused to let me bring him in for health related reasons, I can understand their concern."

When their meals arrived, Keitaro took to eating mostly, nodding periodically from time to time. They were sitting at a square table and since Keitaro had actively chosen **not** to sit next to Tsuruko, he had ended up sitting across from her instead. It had seemed like a smart decision at first, but now he was beginning to regret it. Due to their positioning, he sat facing her and nearly every time he looked up, he would find himself meeting Tsuruko's gaze. She simply smiled at him each time this happened, which only served to make Keitaro further self conscious to the fact that he was staring at her, and he would immediately avert his eyes.

Unnerved at the awkwardness, Keitaro attempted to avoid the increasingly common occurrence by drinking from his glass whenever he looked up from his food or in the general forward direction. It was not as though he was purposely trying to catch Tsuruko's eyes, but their seating arrangement had made it so that it was almost impossible for him to look anywhere else. Unless he decided to continuously stare to his left at Hayate—which he tried to for a short while until that in itself became awkward—there were really had no other options. Sticking to his original strategy, Keitaro continued to drink, but before he knew it, he had drained all the water from his glass and flagged down a waiter for a refill.

While Keitaro was preoccupied with the waiter, Tsuruko took the opportunity, leaning in towards Hayate. "He's rather quiet, no?" she whispered. "Do you think I've done something to offend him?"

"Relax, I don't think it has anything to do with you, he's a naturally quiet person," Hayate replied, not realizing how off he was.

Tsuruko was not assured, and as the waiter left, she attempted to spark up a conversation with Keitaro in an effort to make things more comfortable. "So…Keitaro-**san**…" she paused deliberately, smirking on Hayate's disgruntled expression. "From what Hayate has told me, you are aspiring for Tokyo U, correct?"

Keitaro nodded.

"I heard the mock exams were held recently, how did they go for you? Well I hope?"

Keitaro suddenly glanced at Hayate who gave no indication that he heard anything out of the ordinary, poking at a piece of unruly salad with his fork.

"Yes I did rather well…better than expected."

Tsuruko smiled. "That's good to hear."

Keitaro cast a knowing smile at Hayate. Although his teacher continued to eat as though nothing had happened, Keitaro was well aware of the fact that Hayate's inaction had been deliberate. Hayate had stayed true in his **promise** to tell no one about Keitaro's scores—and that included even his wife.

A question sprang up in Keitaro's mind, one that he had been far too mentally disoriented by the shock of his scores to consider earlier. Why had he gone to Hayate before anyone else? His decision at the time had almost seemed instinctual, and Keitaro was unable to come up with any rational answer. He could distinctly recall of feeling like a child running home to present his report card to his father…that was the only way he could think to describe it.

As Keitaro took another sip of his water, he saw Tsuruko casually reached out and tuck back one of Hayate's bangs behind his ears, clicking her tongue disapprovingly. "Honestly, what do you even wear that headband for? It hardly keeps the hair from falling onto your face."

Hayate grinned. "I do it to annoy you."

"Yes, I won't argue with that, you're remarkably annoying," Tsuruko sighed, rolling her eyes.

Despite his outward neutrality, Keitaro found the way Hayate and Tsuruko acted with each other very intriguing. They seemed so comfortable and in sync with each other, though Keitaro had to admit it was a little strange seeing Hayate act so loose and relaxed since he had grown so accustomed to viewing Hayate as the strict teacher figure.

Keitaro had little experience in seeing how couples interacted with each other, one obvious reason being because he had never been in a relationship himself and the only real life example he had to off of were his parents, an ill model to begin with, were anything but happy together. Unlike Hayate and Tsuruko, whose contrasting personas seemed to balance out and mesh with one another, his parents' personalities seemed to collide head on and in the end, his mother's domineering personality won out, overshadowing and quite honestly overwhelming his father's submissive demeanor.

Keitaro briefly speculated if he had inherited more from his father than he had bargained for, not physical traits, but personality-wise, the similarities they shared were more than he would have expected…or wanted.

Observing Hayate and Tsuruko almost made Keitaro wonder what it would be like to be with someone… He immediately strangled that train of thought, although he could not entirely keep the subject from lingering at the back of his mind. What stood out the most was how Tsuruko and Hayate talked so openly with each other, like they were best friends. This struck Keitaro as odd since he had never truly understood how romantic relationships really worked. His assumptions had been more along the lines of—you meet the person, make small talk, initiate intimacy and then you left. This was why it had never really appealed to him and the preconceived notion had only served to further intensify his longing for the promised girl.

But with the newfound evidence playing out right in front of him, Keitaro wondered if perhaps a friendship with someone could eventually blossom into something more. That would make more sense since if you already knew the person beforehand—their likes, dislikes, personality traits, and found that you enjoyed their company, well then going to the next level would seem like an inevitable outcome, right? He wondered how Hayate and Tsuruko had met; they seemed so different from each other, coming from opposite sides of the spectrum.

Viewing from the traditional perspective, their roles seemed reversed between the typical husband and wife. Hayate was a soft spoken intellectual who actively pursued knowledge and liked to teach, and while Keitaro did not know very much about Tsuruko, he could venture that she was an aggressive, battle hardened warrior that had seen much bloodshed in her day—perhaps a slight exaggeration, but then again, he really did not know for sure now did he?

It was hard to believe that Tsuruko and Hayate could share any common ground with each other, and yet here they were right in front of him. What was it that had attracted them to each other?

Keitaro suddenly slapped himself mentally, reprimanding himself for giving thought to such useless things. Seriously, what did he care? There were more important things to think about—he had no time to waste dawdling over such triviality. His thoughts naturally steered toward the mock exam scores and for the first time, it finally occurred to him that he had no idea how it turned out for Naru and Mutsumi, but he hoped it went well for them. For some reason, he really did not want to be alone in his success, wanting them along there with him. He then remembered, with a small pinch of guilt, that he had promised to go with them to get their scores, but it was too late to dwell on it now.

"Where do you live, Keitaro-san?" Tsuruko inquired, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"I live in Hinata City," Keitaro answered, finding the question a little personal in his opinion.

"Are you familiar with an all girls dormitory, Hinata Sou?"

Why was she asking him about that out of the blue? And then Keitaro remembered that it was probably because Motoko lived there.

"Yes…I…reside there."

Tsuruko seemed confused. "So they've changed it into a coed dormitory?"

"Not exactly, I'm the landlord."

"That's great!" Tsuruko exclaimed excitedly. "I'm actually Motoko's sister."

"Really? I would've never been able to tell," Keitaro kept his sarcasm very subtle, but from the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Hayate smirk.

Tsuruko apparently remained oblivious, or simply decided not to acknowledge it. "I was planning to visit Motoko, but it's been so long since I last went to Hinata Sou that I can't recall the way there. The three of us should leave right away. I can't wait to see the look on Motoko's face when she sees us!"

Hayate seemed to freeze for a moment, a flash of fear passing through his eyes. "I…I don't think I'll be coming with you, Tsuruko, I've got to head back to the cram school to make sure that they'll be transferring me back to Kyoto for the next semester."

Tsuruko and Hayate seemed to share a knowing look, and Keitaro caught on to just how hastily the subject was dropped. When they left the restaurant, Hayate accompanied them to the Hinata City train station, but once again declined Keitaro's invitation to come, parting ways from them there.

As Keitaro and Tsuruko walked through a particularly busy street, the swordswoman observed the people walking past them with a certain sort of fascination, which was ironic since Tsuruko was the one who stuck out in the crowd yet nobody seemed to pay any extra attention to her, they were all too busy going about their own business.

"The real world is a difficult place to survive in," Tsuruko commented offhandedly. "Unlike in nature, where everything follows a set of laws, **here** there is no certain set of rules and guidelines—anything goes. The concrete jungle is truly a dangerous place to live."

Keitaro merely nodded at her random remark even though he found it rather confusing. She apparently seemed to have forgotten to take into account the laws set forth by the government, but Keitaro did not bother correcting her.

"The God's Cry school is located in a rural area, isolated away from modern day society, but we've managed to adapt and function according to today's standards. We haven't lost our relevance—at least not yet anyways," Tsuruko paused for a moment, taking the time to gather herself while Keitaro continued to walk beside her silently, not understanding where she was going with this.

"After I got married, Motoko and I became rather distant. She no longer wished to live at our compound in Kyoto, and since I didn't want her out in some strange outlandish place, we both settled on an agreement for her to come to Hinata Sou. My initial instinct about this place was right; it's provided a safe haven for Motoko."

Finally Keitaro came out and asked her. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because you're the landlord, shouldn't you know about your tenants?"

At a loss for an answer, Keitaro was saved from having to respond as a majestic bird swooped down from the sky and perched itself elegantly onto Tsuruko's shoulder.

"This is Shippu," Tsuruko explained, the crane squawked upon hearing its name.

Keitaro nodded, curiously reaching out to touch the bird and wound up getting harshly bitten on his index finger, learning firsthand that just because it lacked teeth did not mean its bite was any less painful, it had one hell of a sharp beak. Cursing under his breath, Keitaro put his finger in his mouth to stop the bleeding, throwing the yellow fiend a dirty look.

Tsuruko snickered. "It takes a while before Shippu becomes familiar with a person."

By this time, they had arrived at the bottom of the steps leading to Hinata Sou and began the upward trek. "What is all of that large machinery for?" Tsuruko asked, gesturing towards the teahouse.

"Just some construction going on," Keitaro explained and noticed that the cranes were idle. "They're probably on break right now."

As they approached the front entrance of the dormitory, Keitaro stopped just short of the doors.

"Please wait, Tsuruko-san," he requested, halting Tsuruko in her tracks. "There are no weapons allowed in Hinata Sou so before you go inside, I must insist that you discard your sword, if you want you can leave at the Hinata Teahouse."

"You have nothing to worry about Keitaro-san, as I've told you before, I am an expertly trained samurai; nobody will come to harm--"

"There's no exceptions," Keitaro cut her off quietly.

The air around Keitaro suddenly seemed to drop a couple of notches in temperature, Tsuruko's hand reached for her sword and Keitaro was unsure whether it was in a protective manner or if she made to attack him.

She laughed darkly. "Silly boy, I'll pretend I never heard that."

Tsuruko stepped forward again, but Keitaro quickly moved in front of her, standing between her and the entrance.

"Then I'll make sure you hear it this time," he said in a near whisper, trying his hardest not to break eye contact with the fearsome woman. If Tsuruko was anything like her younger sister, then there was a high possibility that he would be cut down on the spot.

However what happened next completely threw off Keitaro's initial assumption. Tsuruko started laughing as she unhinged her sword, tossing it up into the air. Shippu flew off her shoulder grabbing onto the sword midair with its talons and soared into a nearby tree.

"I must admit I admire you're strong spirit, not many people stand have the audacity to stand up to me. No wonder Hayate took such a liking to you."

Keitaro simply continued to stare at Tsuruko, awestruck by the way she had looked when she laughed.

"Well come on now, I've done as you asked, are you going to let me in?"

"Huh?" Keitaro finally tore his gaze away from her. "Oh---please…right this way."

**-------------------------------**

Motoko slowly trudged up the stairs after a particularly rough day at school, greatly looking to change out of her school uniform and heading out into the forest to train. She had received a test in two of her worst subjects, math and science—specifically biology. Honestly, who cared about mapping out the nervous system of a frog? At least it had not been turtles; Motoko did not think she would have been able to stomach dissecting those hideous creatures. She walked into the lobby, slipping of her shoes, barely paying attention to the group gathered in the common room,

"Good afternoon, Motoko. How was school?"

"It was good, Oneesan," Motoko lethargically replied, nearly yawning. Yes, some training was definitely in order to help wake herself up. As she made her way to the stairs, her mind finally figured out that something was very out of place and when she realized what, her tiredness disappeared instantly.

"…Oneesan?!" Motoko flew backwards, slamming her back against the front door, noticing that her sister was in the company of Keitaro, Kitsune, Su, Shinobu and Sarah.

Tsuruko smiled. "I you'd be ecstatic to see me, your expression is priceless."

"When did you get here?" Motoko asked, although what she was really dying to ask was: '**why **are you here?'

"Not too long ago, but that is a matter for later," Tsuruko replied standing up. "Motoko, we duel---now."

"But, Oneesan, I need to change first--"

"No time, retrieve your sword and meet me on the outside steps."

Motoko quickly ran into the teahouse to pick up her sword. By now she knew the location of it since she had come so often that Haruka had finally just told her where she kept it. Tsuruko was waiting for her when she came back outside, casually raising her arm to the sky as Shippu flew by, releasing the sword from its talons and allowing it to fall into her outstretched palm.

"We will fight within the boundaries of the staircase, if at anytime you are outside of the staircase, it will result in an automatic loss," Tsuruko stated.

Motoko nodded and made her way to the top of the staircase while Tsuruko took to the opposite side and headed towards the bottom. They turned and faced each other, sizing up the sibling turned opponent from their respective positions. Motoko got into her stance as a strong gust of wind blew across the area, making her ponytail flow wildly along its current.

The four residents present plus Keitaro were now watching on as well, standing underneath the wooden foyer just outside the front entrance of Hinata Sou. Keitaro glanced at Kitsune who was standing right beside him. She grinned, whispering, "I've got my money on the older one, care to wager?"

Keitaro smirked. "Not when I you've already bet on my choice."

"Come on you two," Shinobu interrupted. "We should give Motoko-sempai our encouragement."

"Shhh!" Su hushed them, walking to the edge of the first step. "Motoko needs to concentrate right now. We've got to be absolutely quiet."

Sarah came back to stand by Keitaro, "She's really into this, huh?"

Keitaro nodded and there attention their attention drifted back to the two Aoyama sisters.

"Very strategic, Motoko, you have the high ground!" Tsuruko commented loudly. "Question is--will it help?"

Taking that as Tsuruko's way of declaring the start of their match, Motoko bent her knees and charged down the stairs. Tsuruko simply remained stationary, waiting for her younger sister to come to her. Motoko was the one to strike first, executing a slash which was quickly blocked. She then ducked under Tsuruko's shoulder and slashed at her sister's legs, hoping to throw her off balance, but much to Motoko's annoyance, Tsuruko simply flipped right over her head. Motoko spun around to face her again but just as she did, she was knocked back with incredible force.

Tsuruko had landed a powerful swift kick to Motoko's stomach, sending her rolling down the steps, spinning at such speed that it was enough to make everyone watching feel slightly dizzy. Luckily at the last moment, Motoko slammed her palms down, halting herself at the very last stair, inches away from falling onto the sidewalk. She hopped back onto her feet, quickly regaining her composure and charged up, sending a blast of ki toward Tsuruko.

"You're wasting your energy if you blatantly give off your next move!" Tsuruko scoffed. As the blue ki approached her, Tsuruko reached out at it with her hand and seemed to put it under her control, manipulating it at her will. She did a half-circle spin, twirling the ki harmlessly around her, and redirected it right back at Motoko.

Motoko managed to easily jump over the counterattack, smiling in triumph, but then she saw Tsuruko smirk and thrust both palms upwards in her direction.

_What is she doing?_ Motoko wondered when a faint blue light appeared underneath her and her eyes widened in realization. _She's bent the direction of the ki t--_

Motoko did not get a chance to finish the thought, taking a full on hit. She was freefalling for a little while before she regained control and somersaulted to regain her stability, managing to land back on her feet…barely. She kneeled down desperately trying to catch her breath.

Tsuruko took a gigantic leap up and hung in the sky for an obscenely long amount of time, slicing through the air repeatedly. Although they were invisible to everyone else watching, Motoko's well trained eyes made out the barely visible blades of wind that were hurtling at her, scarcely evading them by a millisecond. The sharp concentrated air hit the stairs hard, one after another in the exact same spot, with an unbearable nails-on-chalkboard scratching noise that made everyone except Motoko and Tsuruko cover their ears, cringing. The cement, unable withstand the magnitude of the force, cracked under the tremendous pressure, forming a thick fault line with many threads and veins that stretched for nearly fifteen feet.

Tsuruko slowly fell back to the earth, landing gracefully on the shattered pavement where her attack had hit. A split instant later, Motoko made a mad dash back down the steps to put a distance between her and Tsuruko.

However, the elder sister quickly turned around, closing her eyes and recited something in an undertone, then proceeded to slash her blade in an upwards motion, emitting a colossal wave of blue ki energy that filled the entire width of the staircase.

Sensing a powerful presence behind her, Motoko glanced back and instantly knew she was outmatched, there was no way she could dodge this, let alone stop it. With the utmost disappointment, Motoko regretfully veered left and ran off of the steps, effectively forfeiting the match. But she could not dwell on her defeat for very long because her ears suddenly picked up on two voices coming from the bottom of the steps.

"See? I told you not to worry, Mutsumi, with that kind of score, passing the official Tokyo U entrance exam test is simply a technicality."

"They're nothing compared to your scores, I mean you got ranked number two—in the nation!"

Motoko paled, realizing the gravity of the danger they were in. "Naru-sempai…and Mutsumi…san!"

Without a second thought, Motoko furiously sprinted downhill on the grass, eventually overtaking the blast of ki that was still traveling downward. She got back onto the stairs and finally reached Naru and Mutsumi who were silently gaping in paralyzed fear at the unstoppable, crackling and flashing energy that stampeded towards them.

"Oh my…" was all Mutsumi could bring herself to say.

"Stand back and brace yourselves!" Motoko commanded, getting into a protective stance in front of Naru and Mutsumi. It was too late for them to run to the side now. Motoko was uncertain of whether or not she would be able to handle the hit, but she knew that the two lives depended on her and not enough time remained for her to create a counter. Motoko would have to act as a living shield. Readying for the imminent impact, Motoko closed her eyes and concentrated on building up her aura in hopes of causing the attack to attract to her.

_This is it…_Motoko told herself. She vaguely thought she heard Tsuruko yelling out a counterattack, but it was drowned out by the piercing noise of the energy blast.

The painful impact never came…everything had gone silent…

Motoko curiously opened her eyes and saw Tsuruko standing a couple of steps upward with her back to them, holding her sword in one hand and her sheath in the other, crossed in front of her in the shape of an 'x'. Smoke and dust poured off from Tsuruko's weapons but other than that, there was no sign of the wave of ki which Motoko had been fully expecting to flatten them. Tsuruko turned around, sliding the sword back in the sheath, latching it back to her side.

"Are you okay?" Tsuruko asked in grim concern.

Mutsumi, Naru and Motoko silently nodded.

"What happened?" Motoko finally asked.

"I canceled out my attack, nullifying it."

Motoko internally berated herself for being so foolish. How could she have believed for even one second that her sister would allow for innocent people to be injured? In another mental kick to the gut, her conscious also decided to remind her of how she had utterly failed to cancel out her own attack when she had accidentally struck Shinobu with a blast of ki months before.

Tsuruko patted Motoko on her shoulder. "I'm proud of the way you protected these two, it is good to know that you have not forgotten that a samurai's duty is to protect and serve the people. Your skills have really improved as well. It's good to know that you've been training hard."

"Really?" Motoko asked in disbelief. Her sister's approval meant more to her than anyone else's, but she still had a hard time figuring out how to deal with compliments. Motoko then remembered her manners and blushed, bowing respectfully. "Thank you, Oneesan; you honor me with your praise."

By now the others had reached them and Keitaro knelt down, tracing his fingers over the broken pavement.

"Keitaro-san, I will be sure to pay for the damages to the stair case," Tsuruko said apologetically.

Keitaro merely shrugged. "No need, the outside is Haruka's domain. I'm only in charge of Hinata Sou. She'll probably get the construction workers to patch it up."

-------------------------------

A party was thrown at Hinata Sou in honor of their guest, though it was much more civilized compared to their previous celebrations—no karaoke and alcohol—so it could be more accurately defined as a social gathering. Shinobu made tea and brought out snacks. Haruka popped in unannounced a short time later, claiming that she could instinctually sense when there was a party at Hinata Sou, but her mood deflated when she was reminded that alcohol was banned inside the dorm. So she had to settle for crackers instead, offering some to Tsuruko.

Throughout the merrymaking, Motoko stayed in the background, anxiously watching her elder sister happily banter on with Haruka and some of the other tenants. Try as she might, the young swordswoman could not shake off an ominous feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. Her warrior's intuition was sending her off the chart warnings. Things were about to take a turn for the worst, she knew it, but she could not explain it. All she could do was wait apprehensively in a deserted corner, declining Su's invitation to come play.

As the hyperactive blonde pouted and stalked off, Motoko began absently listening in on some of the conversations taking place, the closest and easiest one to hear being between Naru, Keitaro and Mutsumi.

"So I uh…was wondering…" she overheard Naru say to Keitaro. "What score did you get on—"

"Motoko!" Tsuruko called out loudly, silencing everyone in the room.

Snapping to attention, Motoko hesitantly approached her sister.

"Why are you all alone? Come have a seat," Tsuruko said patting the space next to here. "I can't remember the last time since we've talked."

Motoko reluctantly did as she was told, though she with her back so far away from the bolster that she was practically on the edge. "May I ask as to what the purpose of your visit is, Oneesan?"

"Do I have to have a reason to come visit my little sister?" Tsuruko asked in a mock offended tone. "It's not like you ever bother to call me."

Motoko blanched, attempting to stutter something, but Tsuruko silenced her with a raise of her hand.

"Actually, I do have an important reason for coming here...Motoko, it is time for you to assume your duties and claim your position as the new headmaster of the God's Cry school."

"Oneesan…? I-I-I thought w-we agreed that I was to leave after I finished high school---that won't be at least for another year…" Motoko weakly protested, sweating nervously under Tsuruko's unwavering gaze.

Tsuruko's lips curled into an amused smile, and she gripped Motoko by the collar of her school uniform. "It's time to go, Motoko---**now**," Tsuruko commanded as though Motoko had never spoken, and began effortlessly dragging her toward the lobby entrance.

Motoko, her rear grating against the wooden floor and losing oxygen due to her collar tightening around her neck, desperately struggled to break Tsuruko's grip, babbling out excuses.

_This isn't going to work…_she thought, terrified. _Oneesan is not one to back down so easily…_

She helplessly glanced at everyone in the room, pleading silently with her eyes. None of them made a move. Apparently the display of some of Tsuruko's massive strength and fighting capabilities were more than enough to convince them to that opposing Tsuruko was a very very bad idea.

Motoko was just about to resign to her fate when her gaze fell upon Keitaro, who watched on impassively, quirking an eyebrow when he noticed that Motoko was looking at him.

_There is one way…to buy some time…at least enough until I'll bet stronger…_

She knew the odds were one to a million, but she could seen no other way…if this was to be her final day at Hinata Sou anyway, then she might as well go all out before she gave in. Motoko could not believe what she was doing, she was about to put her life into a 'males' hands, but given the dire circumstances—and they were indeed dire—she had no other choice. She had to avoid going back at absolutely all costs.

In a last ditch effort, Motoko raised her arms over her head and because Tsuruko was holding onto the collar and walking forward, the shirt was inadvertently pulled straight off of Motoko.

"Oneesan!" Motoko shouted, getting Tsuruko to turn around, a surprised expression on her elder sister's face as she did a double take of the empty shirt she was holding.

"I was wondering how you suddenly got so much lighter…" Tsuruko whispered.

"Oneesan!" Motoko began again. "I—I cannot go w-with you because, I am…I am…e-engaged to the male…errr-- man…urm…Urashima!"

Motoko went up to Keitaro and grabbed onto his arm, forcing herself to ignore the fact that she was now shirtless. Her eyes were tightly shut and she looked like she was straining under a great deal of pain, her whole body seemed to be blushing, a fact that was easily seen due to her lack of a shirt (thankfully, she had on her chest bind or she would have simply died of shame), and even her legs gave off a reddish tinge.

Haruka's cigarette fell out of her mouth. Kitsune grinned amusedly, enjoying the show, although her eyes were opened wider than usual. Shinobu's mouth opened and closed repeatedly in perpetual shock. Su and Sarah ended their game of tag with Sarah haphazardly reaching out to tag Su. Mutsumi's smile faltered for a moment, but it quickly dissipated as suddenly as it had come, and she was back to her normal self again. Yet if a person looked close enough, Mutsumi's smile no longer had her usual happy-go-lucky airiness quality to it.

Fortunately, Naru was the only one sitting that close to Mutsumi and her attention, as with everyone else in the current vicinity, was preoccupied with the two people standing in the center of the common room. Naru did her best to assess what was going on, but nothing was really making sense at this point.

She knew that Motoko had an older sister, but she had not met her until today, but what could have possessed the young swordswoman to voluntarily get close to a man…while in a partial state of undress? And married? For goodness sake, Keitaro and Motoko hardly even spoke to each other! Naru knew that was obviously a bluff, but everything else remained a mystery to her and judging by the looks of it, Keitaro was in the dark as to what was going on as well.

Naru automatically turned to the person who had a knack for these types of situations. Kitsune was beside Haruka lounging on the sofa across from them with a playful smirk on her face as she popped the cork of a small gourd-shaped flask and drank from it. Naru recalled seeing Kitsune carrying that flask around a lot lately. Usually it could be found hanging from the fox woman's side, tied at her waist by a thin red string.

"Is this true, Urashima-san?" Tsuruko finally asked.

Keitaro remained silent, jerking his arm away from Motoko's grasp as though she carried a plague, nearly stumbling over empty nothingness as he stepped back. He had heard Tsuruko clearly, but offered her no reply, instead staring at Motoko with brazen surprise.

"So you're engaged…to him?" Tsuruko repeated, turning to Motoko instead.

"Y-y-yes?" Motoko stuttered uncertainly, unable to meet her sister's eyes, or anyone else's for that matter.

Tsuruko took a sip of her tea, and stared at Motoko for what seemed like the longest time. It almost felt as though she were waiting for Motoko to say something further, but confused and anxious as she was, Motoko could not presently think of anything else.

"Well then, according to the code of our clan, I cannot take you home."

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. That was it? A second ago she was literally dragging Motoko out of Hinata Sou.

It was then that Keitaro simply sent a disgusted look at Motoko and headed for the stairs, going up to his room. Motoko fought with herself for a moment, warring with the options to give up and go with her sister or to pursue Keitaro. She nervously requested for her shirt back and Tsuruko tossed it back to her. Her decision was reached when she uncertainly treaded up the stairs, casting an apprehensive look down at Tsuruko, before continuing to the top.

"I just remembered I have to meet with my roommate," Mutsumi whispered to Naru. "We're discussing on buying more furniture for the apartment to help liven the place up a little more," she immediately stood up, her eyes traveling upward toward the second floor before she left.

"Umm…okay bye Mutsumi," Naru called out.

Haruka took a drag from her cigarette, deciding to change the subject onto a lighter note. "So, Tsuruko, how are things going in Kyoto?"

-------------------------------

The door to Keitaro's room was half open and Motoko took advantage of it, standing right in the threshold to where she was not in his room, but she was not out in the hallway either. They were far enough away from the common room to be out of earshot of everyone downstairs, including Tsuruko—at least that is what Motoko hoped.

"Just what're you playing at, Aoyama?" Keitaro demanded heatedly, turning to face her.

"I know this came out of the blue, but you see I…I'm the heir of our clan and as such it is my duty to take over as the headmaster of the God's Cry School just as my sister said earlier…umm…"

Motoko really did not want to say what she had to next, but she really had no choice at this point. "I…I don't I want---I mean I don't think I'm ready to go back yet. You see, since I'm the second born in my family, if I were to wed…then according to our customs, my sister cannot bring me back with her…so I came up with the idea that…" she trailed off.

"So you tried to pull this off without even so much as consulting me first?"

"It was kind of an on the spot plan."

"Yeah I kind of noticed…" Keitaro replied sarcastically.

"I was planning on saying that we broke off the engagement, that way no serious harm would come of it," Motoko explained.

"And I can bet that you planned on putting the blame on me for the 'engagement' going awry."

"No…I wouldn't do that," she honestly had not considered that, but the reason for it was because she had not thought out her plan that far ahead.

"Let's be straightforward here and bring it out into the open. You want to **use** me to deceive your sister so that you can stay at Hinata Sou? I am correct so far, right?" Keitaro said sarcastically. "Well then, can you think of **one** reason for why I should help you?"

Motoko's only response was silence.

"Yeah, I'm drawing a blank too."

The bitter irony was not lost on Motoko. The very person she had been trying to expel from Hinata Sou was now the only hope she had of remaining of remaining here. "Please…if you can help me just this once…it should only be for a couple of days---please," Motoko added again.

"Coward," Keitaro mocked her in a whisper.

"You don't understand…"

"You're right, I don't understand."

Motoko's eyes moistened, barely, she slammed the side of her fist in the wall out of frustration. "You don't know what its like to try so hard, to push yourself until it feels like there's nothing more you can give… only to realize that nothing comes of it."

Now that came totally unexpected…

Keitaro's eyes flashed and he put his hand on his chest, swearing that his had just heart skipped a few beats. The swordswoman had no idea as to how close her words had hit to home—in fact they had connected spot on. His throat involuntarily contracted as he felt himself overcome by an almost overpowering sensation of empathy. Those words…they were **his** words.

"The residents of Hinata Sou are like my family, in some ways more so than even Oneesan who is my own flesh and blood," Motoko's guilt caused her gaze to fall downward, her hair obscuring much of her face. "I am such a disgrace to think like that but it is how I feel, I cannot control it."

It was beginning to make sense to Keitaro now. The tenants of Hinata Sou functioned as a team. Each member seemed to play some sort of role and they all harbored an attachment with the other residents to varying degrees. In short, they needed each other for support and if one of them were to disappear, the balance of the dormitory would be ultimately thrown off. Motoko's presence at Hinata Sou may not have had any affect on him, but apparently it was critical to the other tenants.

Out of all the residents, Keitaro could say without a doubt that he actively disliked Motoko the most. She had grated his nerves since day one and he had been looking so forward to having her leave Hinata Sou, but now he realized, she was someone… like him. "What about when I first came here. You attacked me without any remorse—twice...and nearly killed me the first time. What do you think I am, some kind of bleeding heart that'll help you just because you tell me your 'tragic' life story?"

Motoko's head jerked up, a distraught expression on her face. "I'm sorry okay?! I'm sorry for doing that! I know that it was wrong of me to attack you without any provocation…I just could not admit it to myself because…because…" Motoko closed her eyes and forced herself to say it. "…because you're a man!"

"You're not sorry!" Keitaro shouted. "You're simply saying whatever it takes to get me to cooperate! You're a liar! Oh and for the record, I didn't choose what **damn** gender I wanted to be, but I probably would've been better off being born a woman, it sure would've have saved me a hell of a lot of grief! No promise girl wasting fifteen years of my life, no Kanako to deal with— she wouldn't even have been adopted since mother only did that because she wanted a daughter…and of course there wouldn't be so much damned controversy surrounding me being the landlord of this place!"

Keitaro suddenly gasped, covering his mouth with one his hands, realizing that he had revealed far more than he had wanted to and it was too late to take back what he had said. He watched Motoko with wide eyes, hoping…begging that the swordswoman did not ask him to elaborate on a **'certain person'** not that he intended to even if she did. But the damage was most likely already done; Motoko had heard **her** name...that alone was an irreversible mistake on Keitaro's part.

However, fortune seemed to have been smiling brightly at Keitaro all day today. Motoko was still too focused on her own dilemma and had at last relented after his outburst, realizing that her attempt had been for naught. She walked out into the hallway slowly looking to it entire length, her expression grim enough to make one believe that she was about to walk the 'green mile' to the common room.

"I…suppose Kaolla-san would miss you and make a huge fuss if you were to leave," Keitaro's voice came from his room, sounding much calmer than before.

Motoko took a step back and could once again see into his room through the doorway. Keitaro looked like he was losing his mind for a moment, his hands kept clenching and unclenching, and was breathing rather loudly as he agitatedly paced back and forth as though he were locked in some sort of internal conflict with his conscious.

Finally, he stopped and closed his eyes, sighing deeply, and Motoko heard him curse ferociously at himself under his breath. Then he looked back at Motoko, his voice picked up in volume as he narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to lie for you, in fact I'm not going to even going to talk. It's up to you to handle everything. If Tsuruko still finds out, well that's on you. I think you already understand the risk you're taking."

Motoko's eyes widened disbelievingly. "You're going to help me?"

In response, Keitaro simply walked past her and out of his room. "Just try not to touch me."

**------------------------------- **


	18. Rules Of Engagement

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 17: Rules Of Engagement**

Together…or something relatively close to that, Keitaro and Motoko returned to the common room where they found Tsuruko deeply engaged in a conversation with Haruka, the residents were seated around them, listening silently. Luckily, nobody had noticed them yet. Motoko's right hand fidgeted uncontrollably as she watched her sister from afar. Where exactly was she supposed to start with this?

"You going to tell the others?" Keitaro whispered, keeping his gaze forward.

Motoko did not turn to look at him. "Of course."

"How?"

"We need to assemble them to a safe spot as soon as possible. The quicker the better…we should actually do this right now."

"We? What do you mean we?" Without another word, Keitaro walked off to the kitchen, leaving Motoko to fend for herself. She really should have expected this; she could not say that he had not warned her about this beforehand. Still, Keitaro's sudden abandonment came off as a cold gesture that left Motoko feeling extremely alone. The slight comfort of having someone else to help see her through this predicament was shot. Motoko did her best to keep the sudden sensation of sinking hopelessness suppressed.

She could not let such trivialities affect her, she was an independent woman! The day she depended on a man would be the day she was damned to a life of mediocrity and forced her to give up her sword! As if to reaffirm the statement, Motoko closed her eyes, raising a shaking fist of silent determination, and used the revitalizing surge of radical-feminist confidence to force herself into action. The longer she waited, the more susceptible she would become to the growing doubt.

Thinking positively, she told herself that at least now she knew where it was that she needed to bring the tenants to; Keitaro had chosen the perfect place for them to meet.

Capitalizing on the opportunity of Haruka's unwitting but vital role in distracting Tsuruko, Motoko cautiously tiptoed around the outskirts of the common room, crouching as she settled herself behind the sofa, her elbow grazing the polyester material as she positioned herself just behind Kitsune. She was kneeling on her knees to keep her head hidden from view.

Now that she was closer, she was able to hear the words exchanged between Tsuruko and Haruka quite clearly. The carefree manner that Tsuruko was talking with gave Motoko some assurance that it was still possible to pull this off, but it also struck her as very odd. It appeared as though everyone had completely forgotten about her declaration of being engaged to their landlord. Indeed, Tsuruko was carrying on as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, that her younger sister revealing that she had taken on a fiancé in secret and then rushing off to his room after he refused to say anything was perfectly normal.

But as bizarre as everyone's nonchalant attitude came off, Motoko did not think too much of it, reminding herself that she needed to stick to her primary objective. Right now it was of tremendous importance that she got a hold of her fellow tenants' attention as quietly and sneakily as possible without being spotted by her elder sister. It would be a swift and smooth transition Motoko reassured to herself, Tsuruko would never even know that she was there.

Living at Hinata Sou for as long as she had, the resident swordswoman ought to have known better…things started to go downhill as soon as Motoko reached up to tap Kitsune ever so lightly, afraid that Tsuruko would somehow be able to hear it if she did it too hard.

Motoko waited but there was no response from Kitsune. Not even a rustle, apparently she had not even felt it.

Feeling annoyed and terrified simultaneously, Motoko tried again, staying on her knees as she looked up, snaking her arm up once again to the top edge of the sofa as she tapped Kitsune for the second time, using much more force this time around, practically digging into her collarbone.

Motoko perked up expectantly when Kitsune moved, however, her eagerness quickly turned to exasperation when she realized it was only because the fox woman was trying to take a drink from a flask. The young swordswoman's forehead creased in frustration, glaring at the back of Kitsune's head. Had she been replaced by a manikin?! Even a deceased person would have felt that! Were it not for the strict alcohol ban that Keitaro had set in place, Motoko would have believed Kitsune to be drunk; there was no other excuse for such a terrible lack of reaction.

Resolving that this time around she would make sure to get a hold of Kitsune's attention, Motoko slinked her arm up for a third attempt, bringing her right hand behind the fox woman's shoulder once again. Since the traditional approach was not working, Motoko opted for a different method, allowing her fingers to move past Kitsune's shoulder until they were just behind the neck. Unless Kitsune's nerves were deadened, she would certainly feel this. Her brow furrowed in concentration, applying the utmost care as she positioned her thumb and index finger at the base of Kitsune's neck and pressed them together as hard as she could.

"Ow!" Kitsune exclaimed, slapping her neck. She almost made contact with Motoko's hand, but the swordswoman's movements were far too quick for that. By this time, Motoko had already ducked down onto the floor for safety, startled by the fox woman's loud reaction.

"What the hell? I think a mosquito bit me!"

"Kitsune, shhh! That's really rude. We're trying to listen to Tsuruko-san speak here," Naru reprimanded.

"But that really hurt," Kitsune complained sullenly, gaining sympathy from no one. The tenants all seemed to be frustrated at the fact that Kitsune had interrupted Tsuruko.

Kitsune was proving to be a lost cause. Motoko decided that it was best to let her be and move on to somebody else. Crawling on her elbows and shins, she carefully made her way forward and turned left, entering what would classified to be the most dangerous territory in the entire room---right behind Tsuruko. Motoko slowed her breathing down drastically, though it was very difficult to do so, especially since her pulse had quickened.

Her location may have been precarious, but it could also be perceived as the most secure place to be as well. After all, the last thing an enemy would expect would be for you to be standing right behind them. Motoko was scarcely a few inches away from her sister's flowing hair which draped luxuriously behind the couch.

It was in all honesty completely amazing that Tsuruko had still not detected her presence. The only feasible reason Motoko could come up with to justify such a huge shortcoming from Tsuruko was that the current headmaster of the God's Cry was not actively searching for her. Had that been the case, Motoko would have been apprehended in a matter of seconds. But even with this rationale, the idea of Tsuruko being careless to where she let her guard down to such substandard proportions was difficult to swallow and left a bitter taste.

And yet, how else could Motoko explain why Tsuruko had not called her out? Motoko was positively certain that there was little to no chance that she herself was actually doing the outsmarting.

Receding a few meters backward, Motoko took meticulous measures to ensure she made absolutely no noise as she rigidly stood up, all the while staring at her sister's back in pure terror. She was now fully exposed, out in the open for all the tenants to see. She started waving her arms frantically like a madwoman, desperately trying to get noticed. Her hopes were dashed when nearly a minute into this, still no one had acknowledged her.

Why would nobody notice her in the background?! She was right there in the common room, and all the other residents did was sit there, gawking moronically at Tsuruko, not bothering to look anywhere else. Even Su was calm for once, and Sarah seemed to be following her example, sitting on quietly the ground next to her.

Motoko actually observed her palm closely to make sure that she had not suddenly become transparent; she was beginning to feel like a ghost. This was honestly starting to creep her out. They had not actually forgotten about her…had they? It was as though she was invisible to everyone, but herself, only she knew that she was there...

Truthfully speaking, this disturbing little phenomenon had occurred quite often back when she was still living in Kyoto. Whenever Tsuruko was present, Motoko instantly became invisible, shunted off to the side and labeled 'Tsuruko's little sister' by the few who actually cared to remember about her existence at all…

…that may have been a slight exaggeration, but that is what Motoko saw it as. In a crowd of people, Tsuruko always stood out and in a good way. Motoko had realized at an early age that her elder sister had this certain charismatic aura about her that awed both men and women alike, and it appeared as though the tenant's had fallen under her charm as well. Even Haruka was affected by it, her trademark deadpan expression replaced with one that was genuinely more animated.

Motoko mentally checked off Tsuruko's uncanny ability of holding an audience's interest, adding it to the already formidable list of categories in which she sorely outclassed Motoko…it was yet another trait that made Tsuruko so perfect for the role of leadership that she carried within the God's Cry school, while further proving to Motoko that she would never be prepared to succeed after Tsuruko. Well roundedness was essential for a headmaster; one had to be skilled in the art of diplomacy, being both a negotiator and a warrior. The sign of a good leader was when they knew how to get along with all types of people, and simply put, her sister could talk with anyone.

Unlike Motoko, Tsuruko was very much at home in social situations and relished the attention she received. Tsuruko was the one of those people that when she entered a room, all eyes turned to her as though an unseen spotlight was shining over her. Motoko knew that Tsuruko was well aware of the affect she had on others and it delighted her elder sister to no end, she loved every moment of it, glowing under that attention others showered upon her.

Motoko may have grudgingly accepted this type of treatment back in Kyoto, however, Hinata Sou was **her** home and it would be a cold day in hell if she allowed her sister to steal that away from her too.

Finally, Naru's gaze happened to stray and she saw Motoko, her mouth opening in surprise. "Motoko?"

She had wanted to be acknowledged, but not out loud. Before anyone else could see her, Motoko quickly ducked down, crouching as low to the ground as she could.

"What about Motoko?" Tsuruko asked, breaking her conversation with Haruka.

"Ahh, nothing," Naru chuckled nervously.

"Would you all like to hear some stories about Motoko's childhood?"

"Sure!"

Motoko automatically shook her head vehemently mouthing 'no'. Damn it all! Why was it that her embarrassing stories about her childhood days were always a hot topic with Tsuruko? Motoko had to prevent this at all costs; she could not withstand the shame otherwise.

"Hmm…there is one humorous incident in particular that happened when Motoko was about nine years old, back when our parents were alive. Motoko was tired of being the youngest and wanted a younger sibling. Naïve and innocent as she was, one day she asked our father to catch a stor---"

Experiencing the uncontainable urge to preserve her dignity, Motoko brought her hand to Tsuruko's hair and gently yanked it, but that was more than enough to abruptly cut her sister off. There was a three second lapse where Tsuruko paused and then she suddenly whipped back and what she saw behind the couch was…

…the floor.

"The wood used on the paneling is made from oak," Tsuruko noticed offhandedly.

"Yeah, I suppose it is…why is something wrong?" asked Haruka.

Behind the couch perpendicular to the one Tsuruko was at, Motoko sat frozen in fear with eyes unblinking, not even daring to breathe yet.

All her years of training had culminated themselves into that one single feat. Her warrior honed reflexes proved their worth through this death defying escape; she had practically propelled herself forward and rolled to the left in one single motion. There had been no rational thought that had crossed her mind; she had simply reacted purely through the natural instinct of self preservation. The instant she had pulled her sister's hair was the instant she realized that if she did not move the hell out of there, she was done for.

Motoko had come so close to being caught, so very close, but it had been worth it to keep her sister's trap shut.

With every muscle in her body tensed to the point where she ran the risk of causing health problems for herself, Motoko finally allowed herself some minor comfort and laid her head back against the sofa, gratefully looking up at the ceiling. She was unaware that her head pushing up against the back of the couch had caused her ponytail to sashay to the side.

Tsuruko, having had her fill of staring at the floor and satisfied that there was nothing behind her—at least not anymore— was turning her head back when she caught sight of a lock of smooth ebony hair (identical to her own) sticking out from behind the couch where Naru and Shinobu were seated on. Without missing a beat, Tsuruko faced Haruka, the smallest of grins appearing on her face as she replied to Haruka's earlier question, "No, it was just a---mosquito…now where were we, does anyone remember? I lost my train of thought."

Motoko could only blink in shock. Tsuruko must have been relying on Shippu far too much if her tracking skills had deteriorated this badly. Her sister really had not noticed her! Motoko would have viewed this as an extraordinary triumph over Tsuruko, were in not for the fact that she found skulking around in the shadows to be utterly degrading. She was a samurai not a ninja. By this point, Motoko just wanted it to end. With the humiliating stories of her past forgotten for the moment, she took the risk to reach Naru when she heard Haruka offer Tsuruko some crackers.

She moved as close to Naru as she possibly could without being seen and quickly whispered. "Kitchen."

"What?" Naru responded through her teeth, her lips nearly closed together as she did her best to play it cool. Shinobu, however, had heard Naru and glanced at her curiously.

"Go. To. The. Kitchen." Motoko hissed, reiterating each and every word.

Naru nodded, understanding at last.

One by one, the message spread among the residents in a chain as Naru whispered it to Shinobu who whispered it to Su who then whispered it to Sarah who stood up and walked over to Kitsune, whispering it to her.

How they were able to create such a commotion but still stay silent was beyond Motoko. Somehow, she did manage to get everyone into the kitchen without alerting her sister, a miracle in its own right, though Motoko was positively certain that it could not have been a mere coincidence that Haruka seemed to offer her sister more crackers at just the right moments.

An impromptu, top secret meeting was held around the dining table where Motoko provided a long, well defined, and carefully thought out dialogue to explain the current events that were set in place. When she had concluded, rather than seeing the expressions of understanding which she had been expecting, she merely received puzzled stares. Silently, the tenants exchanged worried looks amongst each other.

"What? What is it?" Motoko asked apprehensively. Why were they looking at her like she belonged in an insane asylum?

Kitsune raised an eyebrow. "Motoko, are you okay? You just spoke some of the most incomprehensible gibberish I've heard in my life." Especially with Motoko still wearing her school uniform, Kitsune could not help but be reminded of a freshman lost on her first day of school that had just walked into the wrong classroom…and was attempting to teach it.

"Huh? What do you mean? Of course I'm okay…I…just…you see I…" Motoko inhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "…I'm fine…"

"No---no you're not," said Naru, walking over to her. "You need to sit down."

Kitsune got up as well and together with Naru, they helped, though it would have more accurately been described as forced, a protesting Motoko to take a seat.

"It's alright, really I'm—" Motoko tried to stand up only to be gently pushed back into the chair by Naru.

"Sit!" she commanded.

"Here, drink some of this, it'll help them loosen up a bit," Kitsune offered, holding her flask out.

Motoko regarded the small gourd curiously. "What is it?"

"It's an…uh…special brew of herbal tea---very soothing, now drink up."

Motoko managed to take in a few gulps. "It's cold," she complained, though admittedly it did have a pleasant taste. True to Kitsune's word, Motoko felt herself relax considerably, the bouts of anxiety she had been undergoing were steadily put to rest.

"That's because… it's iced tea," Kitsune explained hurriedly as she took it back from Motoko.

"Now please tell us clearly in normal coherent japanese this time---what exactly is going on?" Naru asked, doing her best to keep her own composure. For Motoko to show such a lack of direction was unbecoming of her. The normal stoic Motoko was gone; her self assuredness and warrior's confidence had vanished into thin air. Frankly, it really concerned Naru.

The whole table finally came into focus for Motoko. She saw Kitsune and Naru's expectant faces as well as the subdued Shinobu and Su. From her peripheral vision, she could make out Sarah and Keitaro, but did not turn to look at them.

"I'm the heir to the God's Cry school and unless I am getting married, as part of the head family it is my duty to succeed my sister as headmaster. I came up with the idea to fake an engagement with…Urashima as a way to appease my sister so that she would not take me home."

As part of her edited version, Motoko had decided to leave out how she had persuaded Keitaro, though in truth, she was not aware herself as to how she had garnered his cooperation. It made no sense, but Motoko was really not in the position to ask questions.

Surprisingly enough, it was Su that was the first to speak, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her features that did not seem to fit with the cute little pink circles on her cheeks. "Motoko, how come you didn't tell us about this before? Were you thinking about just leaving one day without telling us…without telling me? Without even saying goodbye?"

Keitaro, from his spot behind the kitchen counter next to a puzzled Sarah, recalled how Su reacted when the medics had come after Motoko's accidental attack on Shinobu. When it came to the possibility that Motoko might have been sent away, Su had lost all the childish mirth she constantly carried, a phenomenon that seemed to interest Keitaro greatly since it was at these times that Su had shown hints toward the depth of her intelligence, that she was more than capable to grasp the insight and severity of the situations.

It seemed that Su was willing go through great lengths in protecting Motoko and keeping her favorite samurai friend in Hinata Sou.

Motoko, for her part, approached the unnaturally subdued Su and kneeled down so that they were eye level. "I would never do that to you, Su. If we can keep my sister from finding out, then I won't have to go."

"Then we'll just have to make sure your sister doesn't find out," Su replied quietly. "But just in case she does, I promise I won't let her take you."

As touching as the heartfelt moment between the two of them was, Kitsune had to ask the question that had been plaguing her since the moment Motoko introduced her plan. "Suppose we do go along with this, are you telling me that **he's** agreed to this whole phony engagement?"

The tenants simultaneously shifted their attention toward Keitaro. Motoko stood up, but remained mute, assuming that even though Kitsune appeared to be addressing her, the fox woman seemed to want an answer out of Keitaro instead.

Remaining quiet for a moment, Keitaro's eyes seemed to pass by each of the tenants before he asked, "Where's Mutsumi?"

It was Naru who answered him. "She left…something about her roommate getting furniture…"

Keitaro's eyebrows rose up. "She just up and left…?"

"…yeah…" Naru replied.

At the mention of Mutsumi's name—by Keitaro no less—Motoko felt something strange spur within her and she immediately reassumed control of the situation, speaking a with a little bit more authoritative force than necessary. "In order for this to work, I'm going to need all of you to play along. Are any of you willing to help me?"

Kitsune winked. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Of course we will," Naru encouraged.

Shinobu did her best to look confident, though she had been looking very disheartened about the idea of Motoko being engaged to Keitaro, even if it was pretend. "Motoko, you belong here at Hinata Sou with us."

Motoko gave them a grateful smile, "Thank you…**all** of you…"

Kitsune was curious if Motoko had meant to include Keitaro as well when she said that, after all there was still no comprehensible reason as to why he was going through with this in the first place, and he had ignored her question, which vexed her somewhat. Kitsune was positive that there had to be a deeper reason, Keitaro did not seem to get any benefit out of this, rather this would be more of a burden on him then anyone else.

"Anything else we should do, Kitsune?" Motoko asked.

"You're asking me?"

"Well…yes…" Motoko said, slightly embarrassed. "You seem to excel in these types of matters…I suppose…"

Kitsune gave a thoughtful look. "If she asks you any questions, try to answer them fully but at the same time be vague. Above all else, make sure we all stick to the same story, if you tell her something; make sure you let us know. In my opinion, rehearsing anything will make it look all the more mechanical and fake, I prefer to improvise on the spot, that way it seems more natural." She broke into a grin and unsuccessfully attempted to suppress her laughter. "All I can say is that, this is going to be hilarious."

Shinobu looked at Kitsune curiously. "Why's that?"

"Come on, the idea of Motoko getting married? Motoko being a wife? Motoko being a girlfriend?" A devious smirk came across Kitsune's features. "Motoko having se—"

"Okay, thank you, Kitsune, that's enough!" Naru clamped a hand over Kitsune's mouth.

While Motoko chose to ignore Kitsune's comments, she could bring herself to explain why they continued to linger faintly in her thoughts. The planning session came to a close and the tenants took some time for a recess, before Motoko felt that it was really time to go. If they waited any longer, Tsuruko would grow suspicious.

Motoko saw that Keitaro and Naru had moved off to the side and were talking quietly by the counter; no doubt it was about Mutsumi.

"Come, we must go," Motoko grasped Keitaro's arm, but he immediately pulled back from her.

"I told you not to touch me!"

Motoko kept her grip on his arm for a few moments longer, staring at him right in his eyes, almost as an act of defiance to show him that he had absolutely no right to shout orders at her. But then she let go, feeling more confused then ever. She felt a thick knot well up in the pit of her stomach, as though her insides were being twisted into a pretzel. What was wrong with her?

Needless to say, Keitaro's verbal reprimanding of Motoko had finally gotten the remainder of the tenants' attention and Motoko quietly and emotionlessly told them that it was time to move out.

To keep Tsuruko from suspecting anything to be taking place behind her back, the tenants, attempting to be sly, slipped back into the common room in pairs rather than the whole group barging in at once. Motoko was astonished to see that all of them went in and returned to their original spots in the common room, entirely unnoticed by her sister who was still talking with Haruka.

Being the last ones to return, Motoko presented herself to Tsuruko while Keitaro followed a few feet behind her, standing beside her, but with a considerable gap between them.

Practicing the proper courtesy, Motoko waited patiently until Tsuruko's and Haruka's conversation ended and Haruka excused herself, saying that she had to return to the teahouse. Tsuruko then addressed Motoko's presence. "So you've returned, Motoko, care to explain what's going on?"

Motoko recited the line she had been practicing mentally while she was waiting. "The reason why---Urashima did not say anything earlier is because we both agreed to keep it a secret. He was simply disgruntled over the fact that I confessed it earlier than we had originally intended, but since your here, Oneesan, there's no need to hide it any longer."

"I'm glad I gave you the courage to bring your relationship out into the open," Tsuruko beamed, but Motoko thought she vaguely detected a hint of sarcasm in her voice, maybe she had imagined it. "If what you say is indeed the truth, than surely sharing a kiss with the man you are to wed will be no problem."

Motoko thought she heard a gasp in the background, most likely Shinobu. The young swordswoman could not bear to look at Keitaro, trying to will the sudden rush of heat in her face to go away. She did her best to keep a straight face as her mind raced to come up with a way out of this.

Unfortunately, Tsuruko was not going to allow her any time. "Well come on then, I'm waiting," Tsuruko tapped her foot rather impatiently.

Right now would have been the perfect time for one of the residents to jump in to help, but it seemed as though they were too busy hanging onto what was about to happen. Motoko could have sworn she saw them lean in closer as if to get a better vantage point, a mixture of anticipation and dread on their faces. They were curious as to if Motoko would actually do it but at the same time, none of them wanted to see it happen either.

With Tsuruko's heavy gaze set on her, Motoko finally forced herself to turn to Keitaro, cursing under her breath. She could already read it on his face; Keitaro was not going to go through with this. Was it her or did he seem to be just as terrified about this as she was? He looked like he had gone frigid, though to his credit he remained silent.

Motoko had really underestimated her sister's audacity. Unlike her, Tsuruko was not in the least ashamed of romance; Motoko knew more than enough about that. As much as Motoko hated this, it looked like she had no choice but to take the initiative, it was absolutely dire that she convince Tsuruko, otherwise she would never have even considered doing something so...sick. .

Her lips quivering as though she were about to swallow poison, Motoko closed her eyes, bringing herself closer to Keitaro. Almost instinctually, Motoko gritted her teeth. There would be no tongues involved in this, though her own tongue seemed to continually brush up against her front teeth, forcing her to further grind her molars together to keep the unruly appendage at bay. Her heart began beating a mile a minute when she realized that this was going to be her very first kiss.

She leaned forward, but then she abruptly stopped, unable to bring herself to go any further.

_What…am I doing? I can't believe I…_

Her eyes fluttered open, she noticed that the distance between her and Keitaro and not shrunk, rather it had grown—he must have taken a step back when she had stepped toward him. He still refused to say a single syllable, though his expression said it all, he was looking at her with pure disdain. He had given her that cold look before, on numerous occasions in fact if she recalled correctly. In the past, it had no effect on her, she could not have cared less, and she had even encouraged his spite towards her.

However this time…it was different. This time, for some reason, for some unknown, unfathomable reason, it really seemed to sting her. A sort of heaviness seemed to settle itself atop her heart.

Motoko's conscience chastised her mercilessly. She knew that she was willing to pretty far to avoid going back to the God's Cry school, but kissing…it was too much. There were some things that she just could not bring herself to do and this was one of them. If staying at Hinata Sou meant that she would be reduced to such **lewd **acts, then perhaps it would be better off if she just went with Tsuruko. Motoko turned to her sister, hesitating.

Tsuruko blinked blandly. "You know for some reason, I do not seem to sense any passion between the two of you." Then her eyes narrowed, her voice losing its previous cheerful undertone. "What's the matter, Motoko, can't do it?" It almost sounded like a challenge.

Motoko sighed in resignation. At least she had tried; it had taken an exceptional effort on her part but it turned out to be fruitless. Perhaps she deserved going back to the God's Cry school as punishment for her attempt to betray Tsuruko.

Just as Motoko was about to come clean, Naru came in for the save. It appeared as though the residents had finally regained their senses or Naru had at least. "You can't make them do this, its wrong, it's…perverted," Naru seemed to have a difficult time saying the last word.

"Oh, how so?" Tsuruko asked; her dark expression from before disappearing completely. "If it's between two people who love each other, than why should they be afraid to express it?"

Naru suddenly found herself under Tsuruko's scrutiny. She almost regretted having said anything, but now that she had actually gotten Tsuruko sidetracked, she would have to keep up the front. "Because…because…some people just find it harder to express their feelings. It's not their fault; it's just that something…" Naru's words seemed to pour out from within her and her eyes got a faraway look in them as she went on. "…something that they can't understand why, but only know that it's holding them back and no matter what happens they can't seem to bring themselves to do anything about it…such a small thing begins to seem like the hardest thing in the world…" Naru trailed off, finally realizing what she had said and suddenly avoided looking anyone in the eye.

"I am most curious as to who you are referring to by this," Tsuruko commented, observing Naru with interest.

Motoko herself was at a loss at how random that had been. Indeed, it was quite a…peculiar ploy on Naru's part, though she had done it incredibly convincingly and had succeeded in diverting Tsuruko's attention from Motoko's failure to kiss Keitaro. Still, the victory was short lived.

"I suppose I can see your point about kissing in public," Tsuruko conceded, but without a moment's notice she presented them with another challenge. "Why don't you two take a bath together? It's private since it'll be just the two of you there."

Motoko put her arms across herself protectively out of reflex, as though the mere mention of it made her feel naked. "Oneesan—we can't, it's unsightly!"

"What's wrong with it?" Tsuruko asked innocently. "You are engaged after all."

"They can't because…because we're about to take a bath!" Shinobu suddenly exclaimed, standing up.

"That's right, and if minors are in the bath---no grown ups allowed!" Su added.

"And we're going to be there for hours," Sarah said brattily, getting a small smirk from Keitaro. He had not moved since he had stepped away from Motoko.

The three of them ran off with Shinobu tailing behind them uncertainly, she looked back and received a subtly executed thumbs up sign from Kitsune in approval. The blue haired girl nodded, smiling at the acknowledgement that assured her that she had done the right thing before she went off. Nobody had bothered to mention that there was a private bath upstairs and she was sure nobody had any intention of doing so either.

_Another crisis successfully averted, _Motoko thought almost sighing in relief, but managed to keep herself in check. She had to admit, the tenants were proving to be invaluable, Motoko considered herself exceptionally fortunate to have them by her side. It had been one close call after another, the first one had been staved off by Naru and now Shinobu had come in with the save. A detached part of Motoko's conscious also duly noted that they would not have been able to pull this one off if it was not for Keitaro; it was he who had created the 'minors only' bathing rule in the first place.

Of course, they had to fill Tsuruko in on the bathing policy. She conceded to it without questioning any further. "I have one more thing to ask of you."

Motoko tensed up, expecting another challenge.

"Can you please direct me to the restroom?"

At the rate which Motoko's pulse had drastically sped up and slowed down, she thought she might have been in danger of getting a stroke. The young swordswoman allowed the smallest of grimaces creep up on her features, twisting the fake smile she had plastered on. Tsuruko had to have done that on purpose! She appeared to be thoroughly enjoying causing Motoko so much emotional distress. Casting a look at Keitaro, Motoko surmised that he too had had just about enough of this as he wearily sat down on one of the sofas.

"Right this way," Naru declared, standing up. She purposely led Tsuruko off to the furthest restroom in Hinata Sou and passed the on located in the common room.

Kitsune, lounging comfortably herself, untied the flask from under her side. Her eyes opened in dismay as she brought it up to her lips, nothing came out of it. Yes, it was definitely time for a refill. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, try to control yourselves while I'm gone," Kitsune lightheartedly teased, knowing full well that she had just left the most prudent people behind.

It was just the Motoko and Keitaro left now. Motoko sat down on the one across from him and they waited silently, looking anywhere but at each other. As unspoken rule of thumb, neither of them mentioned their almost-kiss and that was just fine with Motoko, though she was curious as to what had happened after she closed her eyes. She would ask Kitsune—no, that was just asking for trouble, especially with the way she exaggerated things way out of proportion. She would ask Naru instead. Yes, she was the best choice if she wanted to get the clear cut facts, which is what Motoko was interested in. That was it and nothing more…

With her hope newly restored now that they were in the clear, Motoko actually felt that they could pull off pretending to be a couple; it was, after all, only for a day. Still, Kitsune had been right to some degree, Motoko did not have the slightest clue in how to be in a relationship. So then, what would be convincing? Were they supposed to hold hands? Keitaro has specifically demanded that she not touch him in any manner, but at this rate, Tsuruko was going to discover the truth very soon if were careless.

Motoko did a mental double take. Exactly at what point had anything **not** been careless during the whole escapade so far? They had been running off of sheer circumstantial luck, barely scraping by through the ridiculously close calls.

This ultimately brought her back to the subject of when she had first approached Keitaro about the engagement. He had blown a gasket, although what he had said--more like yelled-- did contain some logic, Motoko had to admit. He could not help it if he had been born a male, it was his **fate **after all; it was not as though he had any control of it. Still, that did not excuse the fact that he was a male landlord of a strictly female dormitory.

Motoko began replaying their encounter in her head, when a certain word, a name to be precise, seemed to highlight itself in her thoughts. She had not given it much thought previously, being caught up in her own problems, but as she remembered his shocked reaction after saying it, she was surprised at herself for overlooking it.

"Who is Kanako?"

Sporting a bored expression up till this point, Keitaro suddenly stiffened, his eyes flashing at her. "Don't ever repeat that name again."

Motoko had not expected such a strong reaction. "I don't follow--"

"In exchange for my help, I don't want you to ever say that name; I don't want you to even think about it—understood?"

He had stated his ultimatum to her plain, simple and harsh, giving her no room at all to take this any further. Who was this person that made him willing to go through this 'false engagement' just to keep Motoko from saying a name? It sounded like a female's name, she must have been very important to Keitaro for him to be so bitterly defensive. Motoko felt her curiosity rise, fueled by the mystery, but put it aside. There were more pressing matters she had to worry about. At least she now knew what his motivations were. For a moment, she had actually begun to believe that he **wanted** to help her. A sudden rush of discontentment seemed to wash over Motoko, but she ignored it as she usually did with these types of ill placed emotions.

"I understand. You have my word."

Nothing further was said until Tsuruko returned. "I've decided to stay the night to fully determine the nature of your relationship," declared Tsuruko

Seemingly out of nowhere, Keitaro turned to address Tsuruko. "If you plan on staying the night at Hinata Sou, Tsuruko-san, you'll have to rent out a room."

"Is that so?" Tsuruko inquired, giving Keitaro a thoughtful look.

"As I said before, the outside is Haruka's domain, but inside Hinata Sou, it is my job to enforce the rules. There aren't **any** exceptions."

"Very well, Keitaro-san, lead the way then," Tsuruko replied, beaming knowingly.

It took a moment before Keitaro grasped why she was smiling, recalling these exact exchange of words between her and Tsuruko when he had refused to let her bring her sword into Hinata Sou.

Motoko could only look perplexedly from her sister to Keitaro, not understanding a bit of what was happening here. It was as though they were sharing an inside joke, one that Motoko was not a part of and one that neither the landlord nor her sister seemed to want of fill her in on. Motoko scowled, Tsuruko was always so…agreeable, she felt the sudden urge to remind her sister of her husband. She found herself unable to repress herself any longer when she saw her sister and Keitaro heading up the stairs.

"Wait!" Motoko exclaimed angrily, getting both Keitaro and Tsuruko to turn around and give her curious looks. "I will come with you."

"Don't worry, Motoko, I'm not going to steal him from you, there's no need to be **jealous,**" Tsuruko said teasingly, though there it was again, that glint in her expression. Keitaro had apparently lost his voice once again, and merely observed her neutrally.

Jealous?! Motoko wanted to scoff. Why would she ever be jealous of someone being with Keitaro? She could not care less! This was nothing but an act after all.

But even as she thought this, Motoko wanted to stop them, to say something…anything. In the end, she remained silent, allowing them to disappear into Keitaro's room. Arguing further would have served only to arouse suspicion and Motoko already felt like she was teetering on the edge.

She was now alone in the common room.

Staying idle only served to further aggravate her and compelled by a new boiling sense of resentment that she could not subdue (though hard as she tried), Motoko soon found herself in front of the landlord's room. Behind this door—this **closed** door were her sister and manager. Motoko was so close to barging into the room, so close to breaking down the door and unleashing her righteous fury. Her hand searched aimlessly at her side until she realized that she was once again reaching instinctively for her sword. Oh, how she wished she had it on her right now!

She almost hoped to catch them doing something wrong, that way she would be able to unleash this sudden rush of anger she was feeling. It would also help ease her own guilt of lying if she caught Tsuruko doing something wrong.

Doing something wrong…what if they were…?

_No, Oneesan would not do such a thing, she's married! _The mere idea of it was ludicrous, but it was excruciatingly difficult to just stand there with all the sick and vile images of their possibly occurring debauchery that seemed to fester in her mind. Motoko glared viciously at the door, almost wishing that if she did this hard enough, she would be able to see through it. There was no lock, nothing that physically kept her from going inside. At anytime she pleased she could end this, but there was something holding her back…she did not want to risk being wrong…there was a chance she was wrong…

Her common sense did everything within its power to keep this boiling, nagging anger that bubbled within her in check. Surely, Keitaro must have had something up his sleeve to have pulled a stunt like this…but what? Motoko's eyes widened when another notion occurred to her.

What if he had changed his mind about helping her? What if he had planned on betraying Motoko all along? For all she knew, he was spilling the entire plan to Tsuruko right now. Motoko could already picture her sister stomping out of the landlord's room and annihilating her on the spot. Keitaro did seem the type to do such a thing. Motoko had noticed that he functioned through passive aggressive behavior, something far more dangerous than someone who lashed out on a whim. He seemed to be one who would lie in wait, biding his time, and when the opportunity presented itself, he would make one precisely executed strike that ended everything.

"That traitorous little sneak!" Motoko whispered, seething.

So many of the pieces this put together, but still Motoko could not bring herself to act, hesitating again. She was not a hundred percent sure about her assumption. She would have to be tactful before she did anything too hasty. One wrong move and this delicate illusion would fall to shambles. She had made it this far, she would have to take a chance, to put her faith in…Keitaro.

This, however, did little to ease her apprehension, she was still dying to know what was happening and even considered using a long time favorite eavesdropping trick of Kitsune's that used a glass to amplify sounds if held up to an ear. She almost ran down to the kitchen to get one, but then stopped when she thought she heard something, and almost crushed her ear against the door, straining to make out the words.

Nothing…she may have simply imagined it.

**-------------------------------**

On the other side of the sliding door, Keitaro and Tsuruko were situated around the center table. Tsuruko sat confidently, her hand folded eloquently in her lap, her lips curled in a pleasant smile. Not having really anything to say to one another, the two sat in absolute silence as Keitaro flipped through the latest edition of the Hinata Sou guestbook. This was his first time actually signing a guest in so the procedure was totally new to him.

Keitaro could feel Tsuruko's sight on him the entire time, quietly observing him. He wondered what she was thinking, but quickly burned the train of thought. It did not concern him in the slightest, she was simply the spouse of his teacher and sibling of one of his tenants, and since she was staying for the night, she was to be considered a tenant herself. She was married, she was Hayate's wife.

Hayate was not here…

…and that was especially why he had to be extra cautious.

It was then that he noticed his door was closed. That was odd, normally he always made sure to leave it open when a female was in his room. And it could not have been Tsuruko that had closed the door; she had entered before him…

Keitaro decided it was best to leave it be. There was no cause for major concern, accidents did happen, it must have simply slipped his mind.

Finally finding a vacant page, Keitaro handed the guestbook to Tsuruko his hands accidentally brushing against hers. This was not like when he had shaken her hand, it felt much more…delicate…this time around, and it caused Keitaro to nearly drop the book, but he managed to secure his hold on it, maintaining a neutral expression outwardly. For some reason he did not find it within himself to move his hand, nor did not apologize, seeing as it was not his fault.

Throughout all of this, Tsuruko's pleasant smile never faltered, she looked him right in the eye with an expression that seemed to twinkle with delighted amusement. "Would you be so kind as to explain it to me, Keitaro-san?"

Mimicking Tsuruko's behavior, Keitaro also pretended as though nothing was out of the ordinary. With his hand still adamantly touching Tsuruko's own, he took his other free hand pointing to the page and instructing, "Okay, Tsuruko-san, I need you to read through all of the terms of agreement and if you…agree, then you just sign on the open space here."

The amused look never leaving her face, Tsuruko still did not retract her hand from his and carefully began reading through the terms and agreements for what seemed much longer than necessary, unless she really was that slow of a reader, which Keitaro highly doubted.

Finally, she pulled away from him, and to his utmost surprise, Keitaro experienced a hint of disappointment. Taking the guestbook into her grasp, she used the pen attached the binding by a sash to sign her name.

Strangely enough, from the moment she had walked in here, Tsuruko had never once mentioned anything about his supposed engagement to Motoko. Not a single question. This was actually a good thing since he had explicitly told Motoko that he would not lie for her and he had meant it. Still, he would have expected to say the least some sort of inquiry from Tsuruko. Maybe something along the lines of, 'How do you feel about my sister?'

Of course, Keitaro would not have answered, but at that point anything would have sufficed. The manner in which Tsuruko took things in such easygoing stride, the way she was so calm and at peace with everything in the world set Keitaro off-edge. Why? For the life of him, he did not know---but it did.

Suddenly, he was overcome by an ominous premonition, looming toward him like a black cloud. He tried ignoring it, but that only served to make it worse. The tiniest of chills trickled down the base of his backbone like ice cold water. Something was terribly…**off...** here.

He silently watched Tsuruko add the final curve to her extravagant signature when it finally struck him. "You know…don't you?"

Tsuruko calmly closed the guestbook, not meeting his eyes. "My, whatever are you talking about, Keitaro-san?"

Keitaro refused to buy into her feigned innocence, but even as he confronted her, his voice dropped progressively in volume until it was scarcely a whisper. "You've known all along…from the start…that's why--"

Tsuruko suddenly grasped his hand, lacing her fingers intimately with his, yanking him forward across the table, her smile taking on a dangerous edge. "Now that you've agreed to help my adorable little sister, I expect you to play out your part."

Keitaro found himself unable to break away from Tsuruko, though it was not like he was really struggling all that hard anyway, seeing as how easily she had overpowered him. In one fell swoop, Tsuruko has seized the upper hand and now had him at her mercy. But even as her hold on him tightened, Keitaro noticed that she took care not to dig her nails into his skin. "This whole thing is a game to you, isn't it?" he asked quietly. He would not allow her the satisfaction of being able to fluster him.

Sensing his resistance, Tsuruko drew herself close up to Keitaro, until their faces were only millimeters apart. "Not a word to Motoko, remember---I'll be watching you."

Despite himself, Keitaro could not keep from focusing in on the movements of her painted ruby red lips as she spoke. Did lipstick add a taste? Maybe a cherry flavor…or strawberry?

He was only half listening to what Tsuruko was saying, a pleasant haze settled into his mind, dispelling all his other thoughts and allowing for one single strain to prevail. The urgency at which it compelled him was surprisingly strong. The warmth in his cheeks told him that his face was undoubtedly flushed; his eyelids grew heavy, drooping halfway. The short shallow breaths that he was taking in through his mouth led him to realize that his lips must have parted as well.

Keitaro may not have been the most perceptive when it came to reading other people, but the soul searching he had been forced to do in the past year had led him to become painfully well acquainted with his inner emotions. He knew himself inside and out. There was no point in lying to himself here. He may have been able to deny it earlier, passing off what had happened at lunch as awkward circumstances, but this diabolical meeting taking place right now between him and Tsuruko in a secluded room had been spawned by his own doing---he had set himself up for something like this to happen from the start.

To his credit, Keitaro saw this for what it truly was and did not entertain any ideas of it being anything more. He could say that this childish infatuation resembled the one that Shinobu had with him, but understanding what was happening to him was not enough.

What really got to Keitaro was that he had underestimated just how strong it would be---so irrepressible. He was in no way shape or form prepared for how hard these …powerful…sensations would hit him. Normally, Keitaro would have been furious by such unwarranted and audacious behavior, but he had been bewitched by how effortlessly Tsuruko had dominated him, she knew how to exercise just the right amount of strength necessary to keep him from escaping and not an ounce more.

And he had been seduced by her gorgeous face, hovering so tantalizingly close to his that all it would take from him would be to crane his neck forward...

Keitaro suddenly felt trapped in his own room, overwhelmed by a surge of claustrophobia; it was as though the walls were closing in from all four sides. This whole setting, it was all wrong, Tsuruko should **not** have been in here! He felt his own hand tighten around Tsuruko's in a vain attempt to force her to let go of him.

Tsuruko's hold on him, however, remained absolute and when Keitaro brought his gaze upward, he saw her staring at him, a mysterious gleam in her eyes. Why would she not let go of him? What was she waiting for? She had stated her point, was she waiting for a confirmation?

And then she did something that Keitaro would have never expected…

She leaned in even closer.

Keitaro arched back on his spine as far as he could before the tension of the hold Tsuruko had on him kept him from going any further. Tsuruko's head now occupied the space where Keitaro's head would have been, had he chosen to remain stationary.

Did she fail to realize that if he had not moved that she would have ended up kissing him?!

"Tsuruko-san, are you loyal to your husband?" Keitaro blurted out before he could stop himself.

His question succeeded in finally overthrowing Tsuruko's impending advance. At last, she released his hand, and then immediately broke away from him, causing Keitaro's elbow to slip back on the surface of the table as he fell back on his rear. "What kind of question is that?!" Tsuruko demanded, looking genuinely offended. "Foolish boy, what kind of woman do you take me for?"

A boy… That was right, he was a boy. A child in her eyes. She, after all, was a grown woman---a married woman to whom he had asked what was likely to be the most insulting question conceivable. But Keitaro was so racked with confusion that he really did not care at this point.

"Then why did you…?" Keitaro trailed off, deciding that the best course of action was to leave it alone. His mind went reeling, falling victim to a bitter emotional discord. Even as he struggled to make sense of things, it only sunk him into more uncertainty. He was far too out of sorts to even bother wondering, much less demand, just what in the hell Tsuruko had been trying to do. The expression on her face when she had moved in on him, it was curiosity---unabashed curiosity…with him.

Keitaro closed his eyes in an attempt to bring about some sort of clarity only to be graced with the mental image of himself plummeting down toward the earth, and then catapulted back into the air. He had no desire to deal with these conflicting emotions that were brewing up a maelstrom. There were so many different thoughts running through his head that he could not focus on any one thing. He had to retain a focus, to make sense out of something...anything.

"If you know that this whole engagement is fake then why are you doing this?" Keitaro slowly opened his eyes, narrowing at Tsuruko as his voice rose steadily. "What do you hope to achieve by continuing to play make-believe with your sister?" His voice suddenly dropped into a confrontational whisper. "What makes you think you can stop me from walking out this door and telling Aoy----Motoko everything?"

"You said her first name," Tsuruko noted, having already regained her composure. "I take it you've never used it before?"

"Answer my question!" Keitaro pressed heatedly.

Tsuruko was sitting across from him once again in the same manner as she had in the beginning: hands folded neatly in her lap, impeccable posture, and a polite smile. She courteously addressed him. "Keitaro-san, what you ask is purely an irrelevant---you know just as well I do that you won't tell Motoko anything…"

Keitaro would have gone livid at such blatantly flippant remark, however, the unique nature and the attitude with which Tsuruko had presented it only served to mystify him. She was not imposing anything onto him…but she was not giving him a choice either. The finality in her tone sounded like she had stated an undeniable fact of life, Keitaro would not tell Motoko as surely as the sun would set in the evening and rise at dawn.

For his part, Keitaro was no in the mood to even try to wrap his head around this. Right now, the best thing for him was to get Tsuruko away from him and out of his sight. Keitaro stood up, clearly indicating that this meeting had come to an end. He decided to take on the same disturbingly calm persona as Tsuruko. "You know what, forget it," he made what he hoped was a good-humored waving-off motion with his hand. Unfortunately, his voice came off as somewhat high pitched.

_Just concentrate on getting her out of here._

He cleared his throat and spoke again. "Consider staying here for the night as my favor to Hayate, you don't have to pay."

"What about the rules?"

"I changed my mind. It's okay, just please leave," Keitaro was none to subtle about his attempt to get her out of his room.

"But you haven't even told me where my room is," Tsuruko said as she stood up, uncertain of where she was supposed to go next.

"Oh…your room, just pick any empty room that suits you," Keitaro said hastily, not meeting her eyes as he ushered her towards the door. "I do hope you enjoy your night here…and then you'll be gone tomorrow."

As Tsuruko reached to open his door, she turned to Keitaro, "You know, I think you and my sister would make an adorable couple."

Him and Motoko? Keitaro visibly shuddered in revulsion. "Please---don't **ever** say that again Tsuruko-san."

**-------------------------------**

Directly outside the landlord's door, Motoko was practically seething with anxiety, her nerves having taken all that they could handle. She had brought an uncertain hand to the door, prepared for the worst. Just as she was about to slide it open, someone on the other side opened it for her.

"Oneesan!" Motoko exclaimed immediately clearing the way to allow her sister to walk into the hallway. "I was…uh…just…"

"Motoko, could you escort me to a room that I can stay in for the night?"

"Yes, of course, this way, Oneesan."

Once Motoko had helped her sister get settled into a guest room on the third floor, she excused herself and went back to the second floor to have a little 'talk' with Keitaro. She had no qualms this time about slamming his door open, prepared to demand what had transpired between him and her sister, but her curses she had wanted to yell at him died out in her throat at what she saw.

Keitaro was sitting at the table in the middle of the room, and with slow, methodic motions, he was ripping a piece of paper into tiny little shreds. Motoko recognized the Hinata Sou guestbook that lay open on the table, noticing that a page had been torn from it.

Surprisingly, he expressed no outrage at her sudden entry and did not even acknowledge her presence, continuing to tear the paper into miniature little pieces until he seemed satisfied that he could not make any smaller shreds. He then stood up and walked over to her, a dull expression on his face. "You have something to say?"

Motoko, at a loss for words, shook her head and trailed him out of his room.

"Don't follow me!" Keitaro snapped.

"But we have to pretend that we are…we are a couple!" Motoko had to force the words, blushing all the while.

Keitaro opened his mouth to say something and then stopped. He frowned, letting out a defeated sigh as he walked on. Motoko rushed forward to catch up with him and when she did, he merely glanced at her sideways and gave a slight huff, but said nothing. As the two of them continued down the stairs side by side, for the first time since Tsuruko had arrived, Motoko felt a true sense of hope that everything would turn out all right.

**------------------------------- **


	19. Deadlocked

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 18: Deadlocked**

The walls had ears—Tsuruko's ears. That was the general sentiment which had spread throughout the tenants. Displaying a downright unhealthy level of paranoia, they avoided the 'couple' like the plague, as if talking or even so much as looking at them might lead to the chance of a potential slip. Tsuruko had managed to make them prisoners in their own home.

_If she was landlord, she'd have had this place whipped into shape in an instant._

Keitaro let his feet lead him indiscriminately through a variety of random paths. After all, there was no destination to reach, only time to be spent.

He covertly stole a glance to his right and saw that Motoko was still walking next to him. Keitaro had to confess, she certainly looked…different…without her usual kendo attire. The school uniform and the ponytail her hair was set in, she actually looked like a normal person, for once.

Quickly looking away before she could notice him, his thoughts dwelled back on to the events from earlier—namely, the godforsaken 'kiss' that he **might** ended up sharing with Motoko. Thank goodness his body had moved away by natural reaction.

Keitaro's insides had gone ice cold when Motoko had actually halfheartedly attempted to move in on him, her eyes closed and lips puckered, waiting to press onto his. He never would have believed that Motoko had the guts to pull a stunt like that.

But then again, blaming Motoko was rather trivial since it was Tsuruko that suggested Motoko kiss him in the first place. Keitaro now understood why Tsuruko had demanded it. She had most likely assumed that Motoko would not be able follow through and admit the truth. It would have worked too; however, she had made the mistake of neglecting the affect that the other tenants would have. Naru had been the savior on that one, though her approach had been rather off-kilter.

Still, Keitaro could not erase the disturbing scene from his mind.

All of the residents, Sarah included; they were all on their way to becoming world class voyeurs. The way they had so unashamedly gawked at him and Motoko with twisted absorption, where was their sense of common decency? Of course, he would never forget the expression of satisfaction that Tsuruko's features had been set in. Did women get off on that kind of stuff?! And they had the nerve to accuse him of being a pervert when he had first arrived.

On the plus side, at least Mutsumi had not been there to see it. For some reason, that seemed to ease his troubled thoughts somewhat.

_What are you going to choose to do?_

Keitaro ignored the infernally bothersome question, but he could not shake off the dramatic sense of responsibility that had been placed upon him. Eventually, he found that he could no longer stand Motoko's presence. The fact that she was simply there seemed to get to him.

He needed some space, some time to himself.

Keitaro made his way through a certain door, and as expected, Motoko followed him through as well.

"You do realize that we're in the bathroom right?" Keitaro grumbled irritably. "As much as I appreciate your…thoughtfulness, I think I can handle myself."

Motoko, evidently lost in her own thoughts finally realized where she was, and mumbled something too light to hear before quickly dispersing. Keitaro shut the door and locked it, feeling an extra sense of security after hearing it click. The bathroom door was one of the few places that actually had locks on it aside from some storage closets. Every other room had the classic sliding doors.

At last, he was graced with peace and quiet, though it was not like Motoko had talked to him, rather it was a break from being with her so much. Keitaro turned on the faucet and let the water run as he glanced at the mirror.

"Whoa?"

He watched his reflection bring his hand up to his face, gently touching the skin right beneath his glasses. Thick dark circles were outlined around his eyes and even with his silver framed glasses perched over them, they were plainly visible. Closing each of his eyelids one at a time, he saw that they were thoroughly blackened as well. Partially lifting his spectacles up, he tenderly ran a finger past his eyelids and then examined it carefully. No traces of anything. He had been half expecting it to be some sort of gothic make-up, but it was apparent that his skin had truly been darkened by sleep deprivation.

When did this happen? How long had he looked like this? He had been so caught up in studying these past few months that he had not taken the time to so much as pay attention his appearance.

'_Have you looked in the mirror lately?'_

Keitaro remembered Naru asking him that during the mock exams. Keitaro would have never thought that his lack of sleep would physically manifest itself so strongly. Moving his face closer to his reflected counterpart, he could even see that there were slight tints of red agitated skin underneath his eyes.

_I've really got to fix up my sleeping habits…_

Keitaro took off his glasses, laying them to the side. Looking back at the mirror, he saw the hazed form of himself in front of him. Well, on a positive note, at least he was not able to see his eyes without his glasses. Though he was unsure as to why, looking at them made him…uncomfortable---tense even.

Although his vision had become blurred, he could still make out the general shapes of things and put his hands under the faucet, letting the lukewarm water run through them. He applied soap to his palms and feverishly began scrubbing them together; putting tripled effort into the one that Tsuruko had violated. Soon he became lost in the motion, his thoughts beginning to wander.

As much as he had hoped that Motoko would have forgotten about his slip on Kanako, it turned out that he had to deal with yet another disastrous predicament to add to his already full plate. It had been a violent slap to the face when Motoko had asked him who Kanako was. Even if there had not been anything to hide about his relationship with his sister, what had made Motoko think that he would tell **her** anything?

She was the absolute last person that he would reveal anything to!

Either way, it was purely irrelevant now. The fact of the matter was that Motoko knew or at least recognized Kanako's name. As far as Motoko knew, it was only a name and so long as Keitaro quarantined it, he would be able to keep it under wraps. Kanako was a skeleton in his closet that no one could find out about.

No one.

She was finished, done, over with. He wanted nothing more to do with her.

The last Keitaro had heard from his sister had been from that one phone call. At first, he had been put on edge, but when she did not call again he had decided to lay his worries to rest. He had moved on, Kanako was no longer a part of his life as a person or as a memory.

Mentioning his sister to Motoko had been a careless slip of the tongue. Usually, no matter how angry he was, he had enough sense about him to stay in control, but at that time he had completely lost it, exploding with the first thing that had come to mind. He did not even realize what he was saying until he had said it.

A---stupid---impulsive---mistake.

Keitaro was only dimly aware of the increasing ferocity in his cleansing. His hands were becoming raw now, but he continued to scrub them mercilessly without giving any regard to the chafing of his skin.

He had aced his mock exams, but rather than getting one single day to relax and celebrate, he had allowed himself to get tangled in this ridiculous mess between two feuding siblings that he hardly knew, nor wanted anything to do with. Somehow, some way, fate always managed to place him in these types of situations. Getting trapped in the problems of others, now that was the one surefire talent he had been 'blessed' with since birth. It happened to him without him even trying.

He was Tsuruko's little pawn. He was Motoko's reluctant ally.

Whose side was he on?

"_You and I both know that you won't tell Motoko anything…"_

It was the manner in which Tsuruko had said it that bothered Keitaro the most. Not a hint of forcefulness, she had just said it as though she simply knew. It was like being given a choice and then being told that being told that the decision you would make was already known.

Where was the choice in that? Was it even his choice if she already knew?

Tsuruko was hardly omnipotent and she certainly was no fortune teller. All Tsuruko had said was that she knew that Keitaro would not tell Motoko and so far she was right.

But why? Why was she proving to be right?

Keitaro cupped his hands, letting the water pool into his palms and splashed it over his face. He did this repeatedly until the methodical part of his mind was satisfied. Plucking the towel from the rack, he dried his face as thoroughly as he could. Once he had put his glasses back on, he stood idle as he glanced down at the sink, hesitating, before he finally dared to look at the mirror.

The thick black rings around his eyes were still there, potent as ever. Quickly turning away, Keitaro unlocked the door and emerged from the bathroom. He must have been in there for much longer than he had thought because Motoko was not waiting for him.

And he had no intention of searching for her either.

Free at last, there was only one logical place for him to go: straight to the lair of Hinata Sou's honored guest. Ever since Tsuruko had ventured into her temporary room, the entire third floor had been vacated. Neither Naru, who was hanging out in Kitsune's room, at the moment nor Motoko, wherever she was now, had stayed there once it was apparent that Tsuruko had claimed it.

Keitaro's mind was stuck in a deadlock and until his questions were answered, it would stay that way. This had to be done, Keitaro decided. Making his way to the third story, he knocked on the guestroom door.

"…come in," her voice lightly called from inside.

Keitaro walked in and saw Tsuruko sitting up on her futon, the blanket still covering her legs. She brought her hand to her mouth and let out a jaw breaking yawn.

"Sleep well?" he asked as an empty gesture. _So much for all of the precautions that Aoyama and the others took,_ Keitaro thought sardonically. _She's been napping the entire time…_

"Yes, very much so. What brings you to…me, Keitaro-san?"

Only out of pure necessity of needing to keep this conversation secret did Keitaro slide the door shut. But even so, he stayed right next to it, guardedly observing Tsuruko from across the room as though she may leap out of the futon and pounce on him at moment. Their previous encounter was obviously still very fresh in his mind.

Keitaro continued to regard Tsuruko in silence. This was his chance—a chance to get even.

"I told her…I told Motoko everything."

Tsuruko's head instantly jerked to attention and she gave him a probing look. "You did, did you?" she asked, squinting skeptically at him. "What did she say?"

Without missing a beat, Keitaro began, "She said--"

"You're lying."

Keitaro stopped cold for a moment. She was probably just testing him; he could not let her call his bluff. "So then, you really don't want to hear what she had to say?"

With a thoroughly amused smile, Tsuruko graced him with an explanation. "Keitaro-san, you shift your weight onto your left leg when you're nervous or anxious. You did the same thing when you first told me that I could not bring my sword into Hinata Sou."

Behind his pressed lips, Keitaro gritted his teeth, ordering himself not to down to see whether or not her observation about him was correct, though he did come realize that he could feel his left knee being bent slightly...

Straightening his posture, Keitaro gave Tsuruko a rather flippant reply. "Fine, whatever, I'm lying." The way she always managed to keep a hold on the situation really got under his skin. "But why are you so sure of yourself that I won't tell…Motoko?"

"Is it really that big of a secret?"

It was hard for Keitaro to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Enlighten me---please."

"Well, it is rather obvious that you and my sister don't get along at all. In fact I've never seen such a strong---repulsive---chemistry between two people."

Keitaro was growing rather weary at Tsuruko's outrageous attempts at matchmaking. "Could you just answer the question?"

"All right Keitaro-san, I'll tell you. Simply put, you resent Motoko—a great deal I might add; that's why you haven't told her."

"That's it?"

"Yes---that's it."

As expected, Tsuruko had answered without really answering anything. Keitaro's forehead creased in confusion. It made no sense, if he resented Motoko, then this would have actually **added** to his incentive to tell her the moment he realized that Tsuruko had seen through the false pretense of the engagement. By doing so, Keitaro would have painlessly extracted himself from this conundrum and left it up to the two sisters to sort it out among themselves.

Preferably, far, far away from Hinata Sou.

"Why do you insist on being this way, Tsuruko-san? Just tell your sister that you know---"

"And then what?" Tsuruko snapped, actually beginning show mild signs of irritation.

"What do you mean—and then what?"

"Let's just say that I confront Motoko. Tell her that I know everything. Then what? What do you suppose I should do after that…hmm? Drag her back kicking and screaming? Do you think I like treating Motoko this way?"

Keitaro shifted his weight. "It really has nothing to do with me so I honestly don't care."

Tsuruko gave him a sarcastic smile, ignoring his remark. "You know, I never would have believed that Motoko would be capable of going through such tremendous lengths to stay away from the God's Cry School. Whatever her reasons for doing this are, I'm sure she'll never tell me."

Keitaro silently watched on as Tsuruko began working out some of the kinks in her hair.

"If I confront her and she openly defies me and outright refuses to go back, what do I have left then? There's only so much I can do to convince her to come back…and…it's only a matter of time before her fear of me turns into anger, if it hasn't already." Tsuruko looked away. "After I married, she became so hateful, so angry…"

At the mention of her marriage, Keitaro finally asked. "Is there…a reason why Hayate was so determined not to come to Hinata Sou?"

Tsuruko stayed perfectly calm, but it was her serenity this time that gave her away. "Like he said, he had other things to attend to."

An indefinite tendril of suspicion flowed through Keitaro. There was something far deeper to the matter than what Tsuruko was letting on. Keitaro suddenly recalled the look of fear that had passed Hayate's face at the mention of visiting Motoko and the cursory glances that Tsuruko and Hayate had given each other afterward.

"You said that I thought this was a game--- I don't," she seemed to stare of into the distance. "I don't know how to approach Motoko…I just don't know what to say to her anymore. It seems that I can talk with anyone—except my own sister." Tsuruko then turned to Keitaro, looking him squarely in the in the eyes, challenging him. "So then, Keitaro-san, since you want to so badly, go on and tell Motoko the truth---tell her that I know everything, I'm not stopping you…you'd be doing me a favor if you did."

For a while, Keitaro did not know what to say. He was still having great difficulty coping with the transformation that had taken place. What had happened to the Tsuruko that always seemed to be in control of everything, all-knowing, all-seeing, pulling the strings from the background? Tsuruko's lighthearted attitude had completely disappeared, replaced with the grim resignation of a haggard woman. She looked as though she had aged a decade in the span of a few minutes.

"You know all of this?" Keitaro finally asked. "Or are you predicting the same way you predicted that I wouldn't tell her?"

"I know Motoko."

"You know…Motoko?"

"I know Motoko," Tsuruko reiterated again. She then paused, her brows furrowing. "Keitaro-san, you've lived Motoko for quite some time now, what do you suppose has become of her?"

Before Keitaro had a chance to answer, the door slid open right beside him. "Oneesan?" Motoko, murmured, cautiously peeking in. "I wanted to talk…" She froze in surprise when she met with the sight of Keitaro standing right in front of her. Motoko's eyes narrowed angrily. "You—again?!"

Without warning, Motoko clutched Keitaro's wrist and pulled him out of the room with such force that any resistance he put up only served to burn his wrist since it increased the burning friction from Motoko's calloused palm.

Deftly using her foot to slide the door shut on an astonished Tsuruko still sitting on her futon, Motoko dragged Keitaro a ways down the corridor and with merely one hand, she swiftly pinned his left shoulder against the wall, effectively making it impossible for him to move.

Surprised beyond words up till this point, Keitaro finally found his voice, only to lose it a second later. "I told you not to touch---" Keitaro started before he was harshly cut off.

"I don't want to hear it!" Motoko, clearly upset, was breathing fiercely, her features beset in an odd shaky scowl. "Just what is it with your sick fascination with my sister?!"

"What're you getting all bent out of shape about? I just went to…" Keitaro trailed off when he realized that a golden opportunity had just presented itself. He could tell Motoko everything right then and there, and end this monumental mess once and for all. Tsuruko had basically given him her consent, there was absolutely nothing holding him back.

"You just went to what?" Motoko almost whispered apprehensively. "Does she know, did you tell her?"

Keitaro did not reply. His gaze traveled up the length of Motoko's offending arm before setting onto her face. "Let go of me, Aoyama," he bluntly stated, refusing to push her arm away. He would not sully himself by touching Motoko.

In response, Motoko's fingers curled even further into his shoulder and her grip tightened to the point where Keitaro grimaced at the painful pressure. She then became aware of what she was doing and immediately let go of him, backing away. "Sorry, I did not…I did not mean to hurt you,"

"Well---you did," Keitaro replied grimly, massaging his throbbing shoulder. "Not like it's the first time."

"Did you tell my sister?" Motoko asked again.

He made sure to look Motoko right n the eyes. "No, **I** didn't tell Tsuruko-san anything."_She already knew from the beginning._

Keitaro had reached a decision.

In order to keep Motoko's mouth shut about Kanako, he would continue playing along with the false engagement. After all, there was the debt that Motoko owed him and he intended to collect it. He had promised Motoko that he would pretend, and that is what he would continue to do.

None of them knew, none of them even suspected…that everything, all of this, it was a gigantic lie. Motoko was lying to Tsuruko about being engaged. Tsuruko was lying to Motoko about believing the engagement. The residents were lying about the validity of the engagement.

And Keitaro? He had been catapulted to the forefront of it. He was the only one that knew all sides of the stories firsthand. Now he would take this horrendous lie and shape it to fit his own purpose. To keep the existence locked away as a forbidden secret, this is the price he would pay to make up for it. Motoko would never pronounce that cursed name again.

He would see this through till the end, to help himself.

He was nobody's pawn. He was nobody's ally.

The only person whose side he was on was himself.

His stomach twisted at this notion.

**-------------------------------**

Motoko had firmly come to the conclusion after catching Keitaro in Tsuruko's room that she could not trust him. Therefore, she actively made sure not to let Keitaro out of her sight. Whatever he was trying, whatever he was up to, he would not dare carry it as long as she was there to keep him grounded.

And stay with him Motoko did, she effectively became his shadow.

For the remainder of the afternoon, Motoko was always within arms reach of Keitaro. Although Tsuruko had not made an appearance since she had retired to the guestroom, Motoko could not afford to take any chances. After all, her sister could have popped up at any instant and what then? Motoko had been caught off guard more than enough for one day.

Of course, Motoko made it no secret to the rest of the tenants that hated and utterly despised every waking moment she spent with Keitaro. It was absolutely necessary that they knew just how distasteful she found the current state of affairs. Motoko knew that she had been forced into this just as much as Keitaro—she simply wanted to make sure that the others kept this in mind as well.

And yet, even as she thought this, for an unfathomable reason, Motoko found herself subjected to a strange sensation. The fluttering in her stomach was either a result of overworked anxiety or excitement and anticipation. But for what---what was she anticipating?

Motoko tried to shake off the impending dread when she realized a certain **possibility** that had came up in her thoughts to her more than once, one that she was not willing to accept no matter what. No, it was not true; she was reading too much into this and would end up misinterpreting things again.

This could not be what she feared it might be…no it could not be **that**…

_Please, don't let it be…__**that.**_

Lost in her thoughts and moving on autopilot, she did not realize that both she and Keitaro were simultaneously attempting to go through the narrow archway leading to the den. As a result, Motoko's shoulder accidentally, but coarsely, nudged up against Keitaro's shoulder. Keitaro grunted irritably and Motoko quickly stepped away, feeling an annoying hotness in her face as she mentally tried to cleanse herself of the contact. She was then struck with a sudden insight and snuck a look back over to Keitaro, realizing that her shoulder had seemed to be slightly higher than his. Upon closer observation she realized that it indeed was. It turned that she was in actuality a couple of centimeters taller than him!

For some reason, this little tidbit of information bothered her a lot more than she would have cared to admit.

Males were supposed to be taller than females, otherwise it just looked plain awkward. It was not the way things were supposed to be!

This was exactly why Motoko preferred being a warrior instead; she did not have to worry about such mundane trivialities. Besides, who was Motoko fooling? She did not have a feminine bone in her body, and being with a male required for a female to be womanly, something she most certainly was **not**. If anything Keitaro was the fragile one.

She wanted to blame Keitaro; it was his fault for being such a weakling in the first place. She could hurt him so easily, so very easily…

Motoko suddenly bit her lip. Why was she getting so frustrated? And better yet, why did she keep venting it out on Keitaro?

**-------------------------------**

Eventually, the seemingly eternal afternoon did give way to dusk. Dinner was not as exquisite as Shinobu's cooking usually was, but it definitely beat what anyone else could have made. For what would have been declared a sign of the apocalypse at the dormitory, Su did **not** show up for one of her three favorite events of the day. In fact, she had been missing the entire afternoon; Shinobu and Sarah were the last ones to have seen her when they had gone to the hot springs.

Going to her room had proven to be fruitless, although it was obvious that Su was in there…somewhere…

All attempts to call her out failed and touching the door had resulted in a prompt mechanical voice warning them that proceeding further would result in a painful and imminent death. The security system had been set to a much higher setting than normal and since Su's machines usually stayed true to their word in regards to destruction, no one risked venturing inside. It was clear that Su did not want to be bothered tonight, not even for dinner.

As for the seating arrangements, Motoko saw no other alternative since Tsuruko was right there. Motoko had to sit next to Keitaro at dinner. They had only sat by each other once before, when Keitaro had first eaten with them and since then Motoko had made damn sure it had not happened again—until today. Motoko did manage to get through it, fortunately with out any incident. Tsuruko, strangely enough, seemed unusually quiet and dinner proceeded in near silence except for the occasional request for a certain dish to be passed over.

Later on in the night, upon Tsuruko's insistence, Motoko gave her a tour of her room, wishing she had taken the time before to straighten it up even though it was already neat and organized to begin with.

"I'm glad that everything is well kept, sloppiness is a surefire sign of a lack of discipline," Tsuruko gave a nod of approval. "Let's see here, you have the basics…but you don't have any make-up--"

"What would I do with something as frivolous as that?"

"**I **wear make-up," Tsuruko replied tartly.

Motoko blanched. "Umm…ahhh…it looks good on you, Oneesan!"

"You don't have a mirror either. Why?"

"A warrior should not be overly concerned with their appearance, proper grooming is all that is necessary."

Tsuruko looked at her suspiciously. "Motoko, have you forced this poor boy into a relationship with you?"

"N-n-no of course n-not, Oneesan!" Motoko protested. "How can you say that?"

Once again, Tsuruko seemed gave her a piercing stare that seemed to drip with disappointment, but her sister did not prod further. "I'm just teasing you," Tsuruko said although her features were devoid of any mirth whatsoever.

"Right…of course," Motoko gave a weak laugh and looked away guiltily. Each additional lie she had to add to keep her previous lie alive was like a hammer to her beliefs. Her oath of honor crumbled under the weight of the lie, but truthfully the cracks had been forming for a long time, making the foundation that much weaker and that much easier to crumble. She had resorted to blatant deceptions in the worst kind of way.

And yet, Motoko also felt a degree of twisted satisfaction. Tsuruko had gone off and married and now Motoko would get back at her by throwing the same situation right back in her dear sister's face, a fitting payback.

"Now that you're engaged," Tsuruko began while running her index finger over the ancient suit of armor to check for dust. "I'll have no choice but to remain the head of the God's Cry school."

"Oneesan, do you not like being the head of the God's Cry school? It is an honor to hold such a dutiful position."

"It's not that, Motoko, it's not that at all, it's…it's difficult to explain," Tsuruko looked disconcerted, pausing. "There are other…duties that I must carry out as well…"

_So you want me to tell you the truth, when you yourself keep secrets from me,_ Motoko thought bitterly. A nostalgic feeling washed over her, she and Tsuruko had used to be so close. How many years had it been since they had been open with each other? Those seemed to be ancient faraway memories now.

"Motoko," Tsuruko began softly. "Is there anything that you would like to tell me? Anything at all?"

Motoko did not catch the slight hint of hopefulness in her sister's voice and after a brief pause, she replied, "No, Oneesan, there's nothing."

"Oh…" Tsuruko mumbled desolately, but then she lightened up. "If Keitaro-san and you are engaged to wed, then I don't understand why you don't at least sleep in the same room."

Another challenge?! Motoko had thought they were finished with this! "Uhh…errr…the reason for that…you see is because me and the mal—err…Ura—Keitaro and I feel that it would be highly inappropriate and inconsiderate with all of the other tenants living in such close proximity."

"Nonsense—don't they have men of their own?" Tsuruko replied waving it off. "I see that I will have to take it upon myself to make sure this relationship progresses, otherwise how am ever going to get any nieces or nephews?"

When Motoko's mind registered the 'requirements' needed for Tsuruko to become aunt, her face turned beet red, and she tried desperately to stamp out any images or settings it brought to mind.

"I'm going to call him up here," Tsuruko stated with finality.

"Wait, Oneesan, don't!"

"Stay here," Tsuruko commanded and went to go fetch Keitaro.

**-------------------------------**

When Tsuruko had approached Keitaro and asked that he spend the night Motoko's room, Keitaro had fired an objection right away. However, Tsuruko then tried to convince him through an explanation. Apparently her attempt to reach out to Motoko had been unsuccessful and now she was banking that Motoko would tell Keitaro her reasons for not wanting to return to claim her position at the God's Cry School.

"I have to know **why** Motoko's doing this," Tsuruko persisted.

Keitaro was still incredulous. "I thought you said you **knew** your sister, Tsuruko-san. What am I to her that she'll tell me anything?"

"Out of everyone at Hinata Sou, **you're **the one she came to for help, didn't she?"

"She didn't come to me for help," Keitaro replied coldly. "She came to me because I was the most convenient person to use. She couldn't very well say she was engaged to a **woman** now could she?"

Nevertheless, a few minutes later, Keitaro was up another flight of steps and found himself walking into Motoko's room with Tsuruko cheerfully stating that neither was to leave the room for any reason until she came back to get them in the morning. When had Tsuruko slid the door shut on them, it was as though a titanium cell door had locked them in. There was no escape now; the only option left was to wait until morning.

Currently, Keitaro and Motoko sat on opposite corners of Motoko's rather spacious room, their backs turned to each other.

Neither Motoko nor Keitaro trusted one another to actually sleep in the room with the presence of the other, though this barely registered as a drawback since insomnia was something that they were both intimately familiar with. Keitaro had grown accustomed to sleepless nights of studying, and Motoko being a swordswoman, had endured frequent moonlit sessions of training to build her stamina, her record being awake for three straight days.

Tsuruko may have imprisoned them here, but they would be damned if they did what she wanted. Keitaro, remembering that he still had the envelope in his pocket had pulled out his mock exams and had been staring at it for hours. "Maybe I've got it wrong," he finally said, rereading his score for the millionth time. "But I was under the impression that you wanted to take over the God's Cry School."

It was almost minute before Motoko responded. "I want…to go more than anything in the world—its' my destiny, but I'm not ready yet. All I need is some more time to prepare myself and hone my skills..."

"Why don't you just tell her that?"

"She won't listen and I know why, it's because of that…that bastard! If my sister hadn't married--"

Keitaro realized who Motoko was referring to and his blood started boiling. No one insulted his teacher in front of him. "Don't you dare talk about Hayate like that!"

"Why not?!" Motoko demanded, her fury keeping her from even wondering how Keitaro knew about him. "It's all because of him! He's the one that's forcing her to retire, it's because of him all of this is being pushed onto me!"

"Did you ever once stop to consider that maybe Tsuruko is choosing to retire from her own will, that she's deciding it for herself?"

"Why would she? It's our way of life! It was **her** life before **he** came into the picture!"

"I don't care what your sister did! You have no right to blame Hayate for it, he would never—"

"Yes he would! Everything went to hell when he married Oneesan!"

Both Keitaro and Motoko were breathing heavily through gritted teeth and suddenly they realized that they were now standing in the middle of the room, eye to eye, their noses almost touching, so close that they could practically feel the angry heat emanating from the other. They had gotten so worked up, neither of them could remember turning around and storming towards the other.

Motoko felt her cheeks growing hot, his breath giving making the hairs on her neck stand on end. Keitaro's face was flushed similarly to hers. They were close enough to see each their own reflection in the other's eyes. They both stood motionless, their feet seemingly glued to floor. Motoko realized just how close they were in proximity.

They were close enough to where if one of them tilted their head slightly than their lips would be touching…a second chance, she had a second chance to…

Suddenly, Motoko's anger dissolved, replaced by full on embarrassment. It was apparent that Keitaro shared her sentiment as well. Immediately, they put as much distance as they could between each other, retreating to their respective sides in the room, once again sitting with their backs to each other.

Motoko propped herself onto the floor, her heart pounding furiously as though she had just finished a four mile run. Gradually, it returned to beating in a steady rhythm and she finally demanded. "Why were you defending him anyway? You don't even know him."

For some time, she received no response. She was about to turn around to see if something was wrong when Keitaro answered. "Actually I **do**, he was our teacher at the Cram School."

Motoko turned back to staring at the scrolls hanging from the wall again. "I see…"

"Why are you so afraid of your sister?"

"I am **not** afraid of her; I show her the proper respect someone of her stature deserves."

"Is she really that strong?"

"What you witnessed was only a small fraction of my sister's true strength; if she had been fighting for real…there would have been no contest between us whatsoever."

"Really?"

"Yes…really. It may be true that my sister wishes to retire and has formally stopped training, she rarely draws her sword anymore, but when she does…it is as though a demon has awoken. And when she gets angry, her eyes--" Motoko visibly shuddered at the recollection although Keitaro did not see this because his back was to her. "She has no equal in our entire clan, her skills are unparalleled."

"But when you fought her…you did pretty decent, you held your own against her or at least it looked like you did," Keitaro said uncertainly.

Motoko was unsure of whether or not to take that as a compliment; nevertheless he had raised a topic that had been bothering her for a while now. Tsuruko had also commented on how much better her skills had become as well.

"I've come to realize that my skills have improved more in the past three months than the all the years since I first came to Hinata Sou put together. At first I merely assumed it was the natural order of things---the advances I was seeing were merely a result of all of my training from the years finally coming to together. But it turns out that there was more to it…much more."

Keitaro was actually beginning to find himself interested. "Go on."

Motoko could not believe she was going to tell him this, but it was something she had wanted to get off of her chest for a long time now. In the current circumstances, Keitaro was the only person that could listen to her…literally.

"It first occurred to me when I realized just how dependent I'd become to my sword being by side all the time. It was not because I wanted to attack everyone in sight, but it offered me comfort, sort of like a stuffed animal offers comfort to small children or…most older females. With my sword no longer there, I was forced to learn the discipline of learning to live without it. I no longer had the choice on where I wanted to train and had to use the forest since the roof had become off limits," Motoko scowled at the scrolls hanging in front of her.

Keitaro smirked at the wall when Motoko said the last part, but nonetheless listened on silently.

"I learned humility when I was reduced to using my skills to help earn money to pay for the rent. As much as I hate to admit it, I did start to believe that I was better than other people, that they were inferior to me. I had forgotten that it is the common person that the samurai is supposed to help."

_So that's how she came up with the extra rent money_, Keitaro thought detachedly, recalling when Motoko had jabbed the money into his hand before stalking off without a word.

"And I did not realize how severely I was lacking in patience until I trained Shinobu," Motoko sighed. "That was a very…frustrating…experience for me—the girl could not willingly fight someone if her life depended on it—but I did manage to teach her some basic self defense skills. Now that I think about, it is such an essential component that I had never even considered before. If I am going to be the headmaster at of the God's Cry then I should be able to teach what I myself have learned to pass it down."

"So…what ever came of that?" Keitaro had forgotten about that completely, lost as he was with his own studies, but he was now curious to know how it had panned out. "Did Maehara-san confront them…those girls?"

Motoko's voice darkened. "I took care of it---that was the first time I had ever raised my sword in anger against a female. I never told Shinobu about it, but I've heard that they have not bothered Shinobu since then, nor have the middle school girls. In fact, I've heard that their terrified of even looking at her." Motoko let out a sarcastic laugh, shaking her head. "Do you know who the three high school girls Shinobu mentioned were?"

"I remember her saying something about them, but that's about it."

"They were my so called 'fan club' from my high school and about the only people I put up with at my school. Though that may have been because they never seemed to leave me alone no matter how coldly I acted towards them. After that incident, they still had the gall to approach me even after what they had done to Shinobu…I never forgave them, but I know that if Shinobu ever found out, she would ask that I did, she's to kindhearted for her own good."

"So what exactly was it that helped you ascend?" Keitaro asked.

Motoko did not respond right away, closing her eyes, calming herself as she began to delve into a deep meditative state. Ordinarily, it took a heavy amount of time and preparation before she could get to this point, but tonight, for some reason, her spiritual energy seemed to be exceptionally potent; it felt as though she was being aided by another…source.

Motoko almost brought on about a self induced hypnosis where she felt herself being swept away, conscious, yet unconscious. She began probing through her spirit for answers. Keitaro's question was the same question that had been plaguing her for weeks now and she was determined to get an answer. Remembering what Tsuruko had taught her, Motoko focused as much as she could, yet at the same time made it so that she was perfectly relaxed, she no longer cared that Keitaro was in the room, all she wanted to know was the truth.

Her training had always been so focused on the physical aspects that she had basically ended up neglecting training herself mentally, which was essential for a warrior. To her credit, she did meditate from time to time, but that was not nearly enough to compensate. To put it shortly, she had become stagnant, but she had not even aware of that I had stopped progressing.

At least until about three months ago.

During which she had gained discipline, humility and patience---three virtues of a samurai. She kept wondering for the longest time, what was the connection between the three? What was this unknown factor that had begun affecting her training in the past months? What did they all have in common?

In an almost a dreamlike state, she was able to sense things that she did not normally notice, and felt herself gently floating into a very vivid memory in particular very clearly: she had been sitting on the branch of a tree in the forest. Wait, why was she sitting out in the forest in the first place?

That was obvious, because of Keitaro of course. If he had not made the stupid rule banning weapons from Hinata Sou in the first place…if Keitaro had not…

…**Keitaro**…

When Motoko realized what was truly happening here, it shook her at her very core and caused the conscious part of her mind to rile up in protest, causing her to be jerked away from the memory. Slowly, she was beginning to acclimate to the layers of reality.

She could very faintly hear Keitaro's voice coming from a distance that seemed to span oceans. "Well, Aoyama?" he asked. "Are you going to tell me what it was that helped you ascend?"

Motoko was not even aware that what she said next was out loud.

"It was **you**."

The sound of her own voice, as well as what she had said, thrust her back to reality, her eyes snapping open as she let out a painful gasp from being yanked out of her meditative state.

"What?" Keitaro turned around, an expression of pure surprise. That was nowhere along the lines of what he been expecting to hear.

Motoko turned and looked at him with wide eyes, as though he were a foreign entity of some sort. She too was struggling to come to terms with what she had just said. "I…I do not understand it myself…I'm certain that this was not your intention, but since the beginning you have inadvertently trained me by forcing me to go through situations in areas in which I was severely lacking."

"How…how is that even possible?" Keitaro asked disbelievingly. "Don't feed me your mysticism nonsense!"

"I'm not," Motoko protested, astonished as well, but the earlier epiphany only further cemented itself. "Everything, it was all purely circumstantial in the way it played out. Who would have thought, you coming here, creating your laws, they may have been seemingly random events but in the end…they all fit together."

_What were the chances…?_ Motoko thought, ensnared in utter incredulity. _It was almost like fate..._

"Well, whatever it was, it does not matter, what matters is that I'm progressing---I'm improving and one day, one day soon, I will catch up with Oneesan!" Motoko stood up in her proud declaration. "And speaking Oneesan, the sooner she leaves the better. Then we can drop this ridiculous act altogether and she'll have never have been the wiser."

Upon hearing Motoko mention her sister and the engagement, Keitaro realized this was doomed to be locked in a repetitive cycle. Motoko was obviously never going to tell Tsuruko and Tsuruko was never going to tell Motoko. At the speedy rate where things were getting nowhwere, this whole 'engagement' nonsense would drag on forever. Both of these siblings were incredibly stubborn. It was because of their indecisiveness that Keitaro had been sitting in this room for almost eight hours.

Well, enough was enough. Since neither of them was willing to make the decision, Keitaro was going to make it for them---right now!

_If Tsuruko-san wants me to get answers out of Aoyama then she should've realized what it would take to get them._

"Aoyama…there's something that you should know, your sister, she knows—"

CRASH!

Both Keitaro and Motoko jumped when without warning, the door slid open with so much force that it snapped of its hinge, revealing a furious Tsuruko with her sword drawn. "I see, Motoko, so you took me as a fool did you? You honestly believed that I would believe your fabricated lies for even a second? I gave you far too many chances to come out clean and tell me the truth, but you chose not to…and now you will **PAY!"**

Motoko could only gape at the terrifying visage of her elder sister. The dormant essence that lay within Tsuruko sprang to life, increasing her power exponentially. Tsuruko's pupils dilated to twice their original size and the colors of her eyes inverted, the pupils turning into a pale glowing white and the whites of her eyes becoming charcoal black. She bared her sharp teeth in a devilishly crazed grin.

It was the demented face that haunted Motoko's nightmares.

The next thing Motoko knew, a blast of ki had vaulted her down the hall, sending her crashing through the third story wall of Hinata Sou, wood splintering all around her. As she plummeted downward, Motoko had a split second to admire the view of the hot springs through a once in a lifetime overhead perspective before her survival instinct kicked in. If she fell into the water head first, she was done for, at this type of height falling into liquid would be the same as hitting cement. With barely a moment to spare she tucked her head close to her knees and rotated her body to where she fell feet first into the pool of heated water with a thunderous splash.

Though her last ditch maneuver had greatly lessened the impact and most likely saved her life, it was still a heavy blow. Dazed beyond recognition, she tried to swim to the surface but even though the hot springs were shallow, she could not gain any focus. Up seemed down, down seemed up, she had lost all sense of direction, she was swimming to the surface---only to realize moments later that she was in actuality swimming toward the bottom. She was going to drown…her air was running out, the heat of the water burned at her eyes, but she was afraid that if she closed them…she would die.

Just when she had lost all hope of making it, a hand reached into the water, grasping her arm and pulled her out into the surface.

Wheezing and retching uncontrollably, Motoko was on all fours, her knees and arms barely supporting her upper body as she coughed out a mouthful of water, breathing in as much precious oxygen as she could. Her wet school uniform clung to her, weighing her down as she struggled to recover. The sudden change in temperature from the blazing hot spring waters to the frigid cold night air had made Motoko nearly pass out from the shock. Through blurred eyesight, she finally found the strength to look up and see the person who had saved her. She could not make out exactly who it was, but she thought she recognized the outline.

"Urashima…?"

"No, it's me dear sister."

The barely constrained malice in the voice sent chills of terror shooting through Motoko. She rubbed her badly burning eyes, her distorted vision coming back into focus. As the finer details defined themselves, Motoko instantly recoiled, though she could not bring herself to tear her gaze away from the insidious being that elder sister had become.

Why in the world had she believed that it was Keitaro that had pulled her out from the hot springs? How could it have even been possible for Keitaro to make it down three flights of stairs in such a short span of time, more importantly what reason did he have to do so in the first place? Tsuruko, on the other hand, had most likely just jumped off from the third story. It was amazing really; nothing seemed to affect Tsuruko when she went became like this.

_Oneesan's true self has finally emerged…_

Motoko saw her sword lying at the base of Tsuruko's feet. "Shisui?" she whispered uncertainly, not daring to make a move to retrieve it.

Tsuruko's feral grin split even wider. "You want it, Motoko?" she taunted, and then stepped on it, scraping it across the pavement with her foot.

Motoko inhaled sharply and her eyes narrowed. She was well aware of how fierce and unrestrained Tsuruko was in this state, but she could not simply watch her sword be abused in such a way. "Now you've gone too far, Oneesan," Motoko growled, her hand tightening into a white knuckled fist as she finally found it within herself to stand.

"Here take it," Tsuruko kicked the sword over to Motoko. "Either way, you shall be punished!"

**-------------------------------**

"So I guess Tsuruko-san still decided to break the 'no weapons' rule by bringing swords into Hinata Sou," Keitaro mumbled to himself, watching the scene between the two sisters unfold below through the Motoko-made hole. He had thought better of Tsuruko; she could have at least respected his request. Not only that, she had also inflicted a lot direct damage onto Hinata Sou.

Keitaro's chest tightened when his gaze fell upon Motoko. She was in worse shape than he had ever seen her...ever. His fault---this was his fault. If only he had told her sooner…

"Hey, where's Su?" Keitaro heard Shinobu's voice pipe up behind him. He turned around and saw Naru, Kitsune, Sarah and Shinobu in their respective sleeping robes, looking incredibly groggy.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "How much do you want to bet she's sleeping through all of this?"

"How long have you standing there?" Keitaro asked.

"Long enough to know that's not a window behind you," Kitsune summed up rather crudely.

Just then, they were graced with the arrival of an unknown third party. "Leave Motoko alone!" A strong feminine voice shouted from across the skies, catching everyone's attention.

Keitaro and the others edged up to the portal and began searching for the source of the voice when Naru pointed out toward the roof in the direction of the clothesline. Shinobu was reminded that with the arrival of Tsuruko and the general chaos of the day, she had completely forgotten about taking down the laundry.

Hidden behind the white sheets hanging from the clothesline, they could scarcely make out the outline of a person which might have been a woman, judging by her voice.

Sarah leaned forward, sticking her head outside, and caught a glimpse of pale platinum blonde hair. In her curiosity to get a better look of the anonymous stranger, she leaned even further through the hole, but since she still could not get a good enough vantage point she continued to lean even further, almost half of her body was on the outside now. Unfortunately, there was not enough of her weight inside to keep her grounded and Sarah lost her balance. Her body tipped and she felt herself falling out of the hole.

A scream welled up in Sarah's throat as she braced herself to take the same downward plunge that Motoko had taken minutes earlier. Right as she felt the absolute effects of gravity pull down on her, a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly, securing her and pulling her back in. Sarah tried to calm her heart from the sudden rush of fear she had experienced. The arms around her withdrew and she looked back to see Keitaro breathing erratically, a terrified look on his face. Naru, Kitsune and Shinobu were staring at Keitaro in awed disbelief; he had reacted in the nick of time, had he been even a millisecond slower, Sarah would have been out of reach…

Finally calming himself down, Keitaro managed to gasp. "Don't---don't do that okay, Sarah?"

Sarah, her chest still pounding and feeling way more than a little disoriented, leaned against Keitaro's leg for support when she remembered that she had noticed something abnormal in her near fatal experience. "Hey, Keitaro, why is the moon red? I thought it was supposed to be white."

"Sarah, what're you…?" Keitaro never finished his sentence as he gazed out into the horizon and saw the moon, which had taken on a lustrous tinge of crimson. Now he knew he was seeing things. _It must be because dawn's about to break through,_ he told himself.

A loud crash from below jolted his attention back down and he saw Tsuruko advancing towards Motoko again.

"Hey, don't ignore me! I said leave Motoko alone!" the feminine voice came again, angrier this time.

The hair, which was the only part visible from over the hanging sheets, seemed to move past the clothesline and they finally saw visual confirmation that the stranger was indeed a woman as she fully appeared at the edge of the roof. Dark, caramel hued skin on her slender developed figure sharply contrasted with her pale, shoulder length blonde hair. Though the woman was still at an angle to which made it impossibly difficult to get a decent look of her face, she had an unspeakable alluring aura about her. Draped in gold silk and flowing robes of pearl white, her very essence seemed to give off an outlandish glow under the twilight as her garbs swayed languidly in the gentle breeze.

Exotic, island woman, that's how Keitaro would have described her. He then suddenly realized that he had been so lost with the woman's captivating appearance that he had neglected the most important detail—on her shoulder, she had perched what seemed to be a missile launcher.

"Am I the only person that sees the gigantic gun she's got strapped?" Kitsune asked with wide eyes, reassuring Keitaro that this was not his overactive imagination playing tricks on him.

"Fire!" The woman commanded before the weapon released a heavy barrage of mini projectile missiles that flew downwards toward Tsuruko.

"Another resident? How many of you are there?" Tsuruko asked incredulously, watching from below in the open aired bath as the missiles descended upon her before quickly sprinting out of the way. Almost immediately the missiles shifted their trajectory and began to tail Tsuruko who had now jumped into the air, only to have the missiles home in on her position once again. Tsuruko's discolored eyes flashed and a transparent blue barrier of energy formed around her. When the missiles collided with it, they exploded, but Tsuruko remained completely unharmed within her protective shield.

"No way!" the mysterious dark-skinned blonde exclaimed from the rooftop. "What is this lady's hit point level?!" She then turned around and began receding away from the clothesline.

Realizing where she was headed, Keitaro immediately took action. "She's going inside, we have to cut her off!" he commanded. "There's an intruder inside Hinata Sou!"

In an instant, they were all bolting down the hallway, Naru in the lead with Keitaro a close second followed by Sarah and Shinobu with Kitsune trailing a few feet behind them. They caught sight of the woman as she came down the steps from the rooftop. Her back was to them and they could see the projectile rocket launcher latched onto her back.

"Stop! You're trespassing on private property!" Keitaro ordered.

"I'm warning you guys, don't get in my way!" The woman yelled back.

There was little to chance to get a good look at the unidentifiable woman as she leapt back and flung a shiny metallic marble at them which popped upon impact on the floor. An unknown liquid-like substance came gushing out onto the floor directly on the path where Kitsune, Naru, Keitaro, Shinobu and Sarah were running. As soon as their feet touched onto the slick surface they found themselves tripping and sliding at full speed in host of random directions before falling painfully onto the hardwood floor.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" The unidentified trespasser teased. Satisfied with her work, she literally hopped down the steps, leaving the tenants in sprawled all over the hallway.

As the stinging pain began to dissolve, Keitaro let out a weary groan as he lay face down in the slippery liquid. It was rather peculiar really, when he had fallen he had experienced two impacts: one when he himself had hit the ground and another when another it seemed as though another soft weight had fallen on top of him. He could still feel the extra weight on him now and although it was not heavy enough to where it was unbearable, it was enough to where he did not have the strength to push himself up. Much of the weight appeared to be concentrated on his shoulder blades, it was very soft and pillowy…there were two of them…

Keitaro lifted his face off the ground when he suddenly felt an indescribably ticklish gust of soft hot air on his neck causing him to gasp involuntary. The warm air came in a steady rhythm, first sucking in and then blowing out.

"Good thing you were here to break my fall Manager-kun," Kitsune crooned, her voice sounding very close to his ear. "It looks like you're the one that saved me this time, but the score's still in my favor."

_Manager-kun…since when…?_ Keitaro's eyes widened as he felt something on top of him shift. If that was Kitsune on top of him then those were definitely not pillows that he had been feeling. Her robes were incredibly thin and incidentally, every time she moved, it caused the 'pillows' to dig and rub deeper onto his shoulder blades. Keitaro elicited another light gasp. Was she doing that on purpose?

"Are you okay?" Kitsune asked, her breath on his sensitive neck creating an incredibly enticing sensation.

"Just hurry up and get off of me!" Keitaro complained, his cheeks becoming incredibly hot as he readjusted his glasses.

He could hear the collective groans of the other Shinobu, Naru and Sarah began to reorient themselves. They were too preoccupied to notice that Kitsune was laying on top of his back.

"Alright, alright, give me a second."

Kitsune gripped onto Keitaro's shoulders and pushed down; nearly knocking the air of him as she slowly lifted herself up. Once she was off, Keitaro tried to stand up as well, but just as he straightened his legs, he lost his footing and ended up landing on his back, finding himself staring up at the ceiling in a distorted daze.

As Keitaro sat upright for the second time, he saw Kitsune, inch over to him ever so slowly. "Here, take my hand," she offered.

Keitaro merely stared at Kitsune's outstretched hand. His gaze traveled downward and he saw that the two top buttons of her top were undone, exposing an ample amount of her impressive cleavage. He immediately turned away from her, averting his eyes.

Kitsune glanced down, noticing what Keitaro had been looking at, and rather than resort to her usual teasing and suggestive innuendo, she actually blushed, quickly buttoning up.

"Let me help you up," she offered again. Keitaro turned back and was surprised at what he saw. Kitsune's face was unnaturally flushed, her eyes fully open as she looked back at him with a genuine sincerity. For all the months that Keitaro had known her, this was the first time he had seen Kitsune look nervous—shy even.

Keitaro finally reached out and took hold of her hand. Kitsune's struggle was obvious, but she managed to pull him up, all the while making sure that the two of them did not topple over each other again as they tried to steady themselves.

"I…guess that's another point for you," Keitaro smirked once he was upright again.

**-------------------------------**

Tsuruko approached Motoko again, looming over her younger sister. "I gave you so many chances to come clean and tell me the truth, Motoko! The reason why I decided to stay the night was to give you the proper amount of time to tell the truth. I would've forgiven you…I'm your sister, of course I would have forgiven you."

Motoko forced her knees to straighten, struggling with all her might to stand up.

"This whole engagement of yours may have been a charade, but your feelings for him are **real**, aren't they?" Tsuruko leaned in dangerously close, but made no move to help Motoko stand, whispering. "You've fallen for him, haven't you?"

The need to deny that---blasphemy--- spewed by her sister was so great that all the frustration Motoko had been enduring seemed to compact together, scorching and pulsating as it was forced to condense further and further until it could not keep itself constrained any longer. It burst magnificently, sending an enormous wave of reserve energy through Motoko.

With her blood pounding in her ears, Motoko slowly reached out and grabbed a hold of Tsuruko, bringing her even closer.

Her words began as a whisper. "No---I---" And then came the explosion. "HAVEN'T!!!!"

Combining the element of surprise and the last burst of newfound strength she was not even aware she had until now, Motoko shoved Tsuruko as hard as she could. Before Tsuruko had a chance to react, Motoko leapt forward, lifting her sword over her head as she channeled all of her ferocity. With a fierce battle cry, Motoko slashed down with everything she had. There was no holding back; this was all she had left.

Regrettably, it was not nearly enough.

Tsuruko had already regained her ground and twisted out of the way, blocking Motoko's strike with relative ease and elbowing her in the stomach.

"Face the truth, Motoko. The only person you've succeeded in deceiving is **yourself**."

Motoko, every ounce of her strength depleted, watched in disbelievingly as her sword snapped into two, each piece falling onto the pavement with a heartbreaking clang that echoed throughout the entire open air bath.

"Not even Shisui was able to withstand the weight of your disgrace," Tsuruko said disgustedly. "If you went through all this effort to avoid coming to the God's Cry School, then you will get your wish. I never could count on you to take responsibility anyway. From this point forward, you are exiled. If you want to hold onto any worthless shred of honor you still have left, then you will never pick up a sword again."

Satisfied at last, the essence retreated back into its confines from which it had come from and Tsuruko's appearance finally reverted back to normal.

"Motoko!" It was the shout of the unidentified woman as she rushed through the doorway of the changing area.

Tsuruko turned to acknowledge the woman, only to be met with the sight of a rocket launcher to her face. Without batting an eyelash Tsuruko whispered, "She's your problem now." She then turned around and walked off into the depths of the mist, disappearing from sight.

"Shisui, no…" Motoko whimpered, staring at the two fragments of her broken blade. She was so shocked from witnessing the destruction of her sword that she did not notice of the presence of the other woman who was now rushing towards her. With trembling hands, Motoko tentatively reached for the bottom portion of her sword before she passed out, her body slumping forward.

The nameless woman managed to catch the falling samurai just before she could hit the ground and cradled Motoko's unconscious form.

"It's okay, Motoko, you'll be okay…"

**-------------------------------**

"Come on, we're almost there!" Naru said as they entered into the changing area of the hot springs. Keitaro reflexively found himself stopping just before entry, but then quickly forced himself to move forward.

This was an emergency, now was not the time to be worrying about the rules. Still, he could not neglect the safety of the younger residents.

"Shinobu, stay here with Sarah," instructed Naru.

"But—" Sarah started to protest.

"Sarah, that's enough, please don't argue," Keitaro said with a tone of finality, giving her a stern look. Sarah, grudgingly muttered under her breath, but complied nonetheless, realizing that now was not the time to for her usual displays of youthful rebellion. Keitaro turned to Shinobu. "Make sure she doesn't leave your sight, Maehara-san, I'm counting on you."

Shinobu nodded, doing her best to look assuring, all the while casting wary glances at the short blonde as if the moment Keitaro left, Sarah would go running in after him.

Ready to set off at last into the steamy white abyss that lay through the rectangular archway, Keitaro, Kitsune and Naru looked at each other one last time and nodded in unanimous confirmation before stepping into the open aired bath.

"Stay back and be cautious, Tsuruko's carrying a weapon and she's incredibly dangerous," Keitaro warned, as the three of them broke away from each other. "That intruder is here as well and you both know very well that she's armed."

"Yeah, yeah, we got it," Kitsune replied, shivering in her sleeping robes. The moisture in the air made the vicinity frigid. "Do you guys see anything?" she asked, rubbing her shoulders for warmth, trying to navigate through the blanket of white that surrounded them.

"Not a thing!" Naru replied loudly, cursing even louder as bumped into a rock.

"I don't hear anyone either!" Keitaro called out.

As the suns earliest rays began to emanate through, the dense mist that had hung over the area began to rapidly thin out. Soon, the whole area came into view and they were greeted with the sight of…

Absolutely nothing.

No Tsuruko, no Motoko, no exotic intruder.

All that lay in front of them was the open air bath, completely and utterly barren.

**-------------------------------**

As she swiftly made her way down the front steps of Hinata Sou, Tsuruko let out a high pitched whistle and a few moments later a yellow crane appeared in the sky. Shippu flew overhead before locating its master and landing onto her shoulder, folding its wings as it settled itself.

By now, Tsuruko was descending past the teahouse when another presence interrupted them. "What the hell's with all the commotion this early in the morning?" Haruka asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Ah, Haruka-san, good morning to you. I apologize if I woke you. I was just teaching Motoko an---important life lesson. As for the damage…" Tsuruko looked pointedly at the large crack in the staircase, "I'll reimburse you--"

"Don't worry about it," Haruka waved it off. "I'll just have the construction crew handle it."

"I see---well then, if all is settled, I bid you a fond farewell," Tsuruko said, giving a small hint of bow and was about to walk off when Haruka called out to her again.

"Before you leave, Tsuruko…I'd like to give you a friendly piece of---advice," Haruka's tone dropped down a notch, from deadpan to dangerously serious. "What you do with Motoko is not my problem; she's your family, your sister, and I won't interfere with that. But if find out that anything happened to Keitaro in whatever the hell just took place, then you and I---we've got a problem, and you, you're going to have to deal with me."

"Is that so?" Tsuruko marched up right into Haruka's personal space, bringing her face menacingly close to the teahouse owner's. "It seems that you're rather overprotective of your precious little nephew, Haruka-san."

Calm and stoic as ever, Haruka stared back at Tsuruko with an extraordinarily dull expression. The Hinata Sou matriarch had never been one to be easily intimidated and Tsuruko was no exception. "You have a penchant of giving out tests, don't you?" Haruka asked blandly.

"It comes with the job," Tsuruko simply replied and pulled away from Haruka, walking away once again.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Haruka cautioned Tsuruko. "One day you'll find yourself on the receiving end of these tests that you so love to give out."

The headmaster of the God's Cry stopped one last time and turned around, her features locked in a bittersweet smile. "I already am, Haruka-san…more than you know," she declared softly and with that, she headed off into the sunrise.

**-------------------------------**


	20. Reenactment

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 19: Reenactment**

Apart from the clouds that were beginning to gather overhead, Kitsune had to admit that it was overall a rather pleasant day. The chilly weather made the hot springs all the more enjoyable, though once it came time for her to leave the luxurious warmth, she was surely going to regret it. Still, that was all the more reason for her to prolong the experience for as long as possible, especially since she had the entire area to herself.

Or at least it had been all to herself until her solitude was intruded upon by another presence.

Kitsune quickly tucked away her flask behind a rock. "Warning, an adult is taking a bath. I was here first, so you're going to have to wait."

The silhouette continued its approach to the hot springs, and Kitsune's stomach uncomfortably tightened when a terrifying possibility occurred to her. In all likelihood, this could very well be the trespassing, bazooka toting woman from before! What was she supposed to do? She had nothing to protect herself with!

_Oh God! I'm going to be kidnapped and shipped off to some foreign island as a slave!_

A frozen Kitsune watched on as the figure's features finally came into the range of her vision. Her breath of sigh relief ended up as an angry exclamation instead. "Naru?! What the hell's wrong with you? Don't freak me out like that! And what're you doing here, you know the rules! "

"Sorry, didn't mean scare you," Naru mumbled, turning a little red as she fidgeted with her towel in embarrassment. "But I would've thought that you of all people would have remembered."

"Remembered what?"

"My birthday was almost a month ago," Naru murmured, still not meeting Kitsune's eyes as she slowly sank into the heated water.

"Really?! Come on, you're pulling my leg," Kitsune teased playfully. That was news to her; it had slipped her mind completely. The past month had been a hectic one, **even** for Kitsune herself, and that was saying a lot. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"What's the point in that? **You're** the one that's supposed to surprise me!" Naru gave her a very dry look, but then became almost somber. "The funny thing is…well it's not really funny, but I actually forgot about it myself. I've got so caught up in studying that it didn't occur to me until after the mock exam scores came out and I could finally breathe again. It was just like when I almost ended up missing my own high school graduation, remember that?"

"Yeah you are pretty absent-minded when it comes to practical stuff, Naru." Feeling more than a little guilty about forget such an important event, Kitsune tried to handle the damage control as best as she could, by keeping things light hearted. "Oh come on! Don't give me that look birthday girl! I delayed telling you on purpose---to keep you focused on the mock exams, you said yourself how busy you were…especially with those nonstop study dates with your other two buddies."

"Yeah, yeah you cheapskate, you just didn't want to buy me anything," Naru replied sourly as she swished through the hot springs and settled herself on the rock adjacent to Kitsune's. "And those two are my **study** buddies, **you're** the buddy that's supposed to be the one luring me away from working all the time, remember?"

"Oh don't you worry, Naru, there'll be plenty of time for distracting you now that you're mock exams are finished. But more importantly, you've finally entered into the world of adults, and isn't that the greatest gift off all?"

Naru gave a short laugh. "I bet it's overrated."

"Is that what you think now?" Kitsune opened one eye grinning slyly, but internally she was relieved. She had managed to play off forgetting Naru's birthday, though she did make a mental note to make it up to her. "Hey, shouldn't you have washed up before just waltzing into the hot springs?"

Naru almost looked offended. "I'm not **dirty**, Kitsune, I just wanted to take a soak…hmm, what's this?" Naru suddenly began observing Kitsune with a little too much intensity, inching closer and inclined her head curiously. "Kitsune have you been growing out your hair?"

Kitsune gave no reply. Her face was already decorated a red tinge so the extra blood flow to her face remained unnoticed.

Unfortunately, Naru was not about to let this go. Her lips curled into an impish grin. "You are, aren't you?"

"So what," Kitsune snapped. "My hair used to be long back when I was younger; I just wanted to try it out again."

"You see? I **told **you that you're hair looked cute back then, but you just had to go and cut it," Naru started tugging and playing with Kitsune's hair like she was back in grade school again. "Wow," she whispered in childlike awe, rubbing a small clump of strands between her fingers. "It's almost shoulder length now; I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier."

Kitsune, her eyes half-open, could only sigh in defeat as she resigned herself to tolerating Naru's annoying stroking.

"By the way," Naru began slowly, "About Motoko, it's been more than two weeks now, what--"

Kitsune immediately pulled away. "Stop---don't even go there right now, Naru, I came here to relax and that's what I intend to do."

Naru gave her an accusing look, and then huffed. "All right, fine, but we can't keep putting it off, eventually were going to have to do…something…"

"Give her time," Kitsune advised in one of her sagely tones. "She'll come around."

Kitsune suddenly found herself marveling at how much time had passed since she had actually any real conversation with Naru. Now that their discussion had taken on a more serious tone, there was a particular issue involving Naru which had been tickling her interest. One that Kitsune had been dying to know the full extent of, but had forced herself to put it off, until now that is.

"The other day, when I was down at the teahouse, I saw that guy Kentaro. Did you know that he's working there full time?" Kitsune made sure to keep her voice sounding casual. "Apparently it's to pay his debt to Haruka for the destroying the place. When he saw me, he asked about you…" Actually, the day Kitsune was talking about had been nearly a month ago, but then again, she had not specified when the day was to begin with.

Exercising her patience, Kitsune grabbed her gourd from behind the rock and took a sip as Naru silently stared at her reflection in the water. She had purposely trailed off, waiting for Naru to fill in the gaps.

Naru's mouth contorted as she made her hand into a fist. "He's a jerk!" she exclaimed, punching into the water in front of her, creating a unruly splash that sent off violent ripples.

Kitsune knew it was best for Naru to let it all out. "Tell me about it," she encouraged.

"He's arrogant and conceited."

"Yeah, he's definitely way to full of himself."

"Shallow."

"Saw that from a mile away."

"Sexist."

"Can't argue with that."

"And an overall demeaning person."

"Yeah, he's all those things and more, but…" Now was where she would confront Naru. "I think he actually really likes you---a lot."

Naru huffed, crossing her arms, "Well I sure as hell don't."

"Now I know he's no Seta, but that date between you two couldn't have gone **that** bad."

She had been expecting Naru to jump into a tirade of detailed scenarios chronicling just bad the date was, but instead Naru slowly sank into the water until her nose on up was the only part of her still above the surface.

Instantly, Kitsune knew that something was very wrong. Naru had acted like this last time too, just after she had come back from the date. Kitsune, at that time believing it to have been nothing serious, had excitedly tried to get Naru to spill the juicy details through some girl-to-girl talk, but when Naru had gone pensive, Kitsune had decidedly relented. She was not going to repeat that same mistake again. "Hey, Naru, are you okay?" her eyes opened in concern. "What happened? Did he do something to you…?"

Naru slowly rose from the water, her eyes downcast. "Him? No---it was me," she drew in a shaky breath in desperate hopes of keeping herself from breaking down. "I hurt him…really badly—on the date I mean...if you really even want to even call it that," she clenched her hand into a fist again, though it was very loose. "We were on the ferris wheel and he moved in, throwing out some corny line about me being prettier than the sunset or something like that. It sounds so stupid now, but back then the atmosphere was so…so perfect that it got to me. He told me that he **loved** me. Can you believe that idiot just threw that word out there like that? And then I hit him---hammered him right in the face."

Naru's breath hitched suddenly and Kitsune instantly jerked forward, placing a comforting hand on her friends' shoulder. "Naru…"

"It's just, I don't know…like a gut reaction, my mind just kept screaming, he's too close, he's getting to close, don't let him touch you, stop him…and then I hit him."

Kitsune nodded, contemplating. So that was it, Naru was feeling guilty for having hit Kentaro. It all made sense now.

"Is that why you've avoided going to the teahouse for like the past month, because he's there?"

"It was bad, Kitsune…I just wanted him to back up. He'd violated my personal space without my permission; but what…what I did…I was so scared afterwards… I thought I…I thought I might have killed him."

Kitsune gave a thoughtful look. "If it really bothers you that much, Naru, you should tell him you're sorry."

A sigh from Naru was all that she got in response. That hesitation was just like Naru, stubborn till the very end, she had always had an incredible difficult apologizing. Well, at least Naru appeared to be feeling better, having gotten that off her chest. So of course, Kitsune had to ask the next most logical question that came to mind.

"Do you like him?"

Naru became exasperated. "Haven't you been listening to anything I've said Kitsune? I definitely don't see **Kentaro** in that kind of light!"

Naru's genuine dislike for Kentaro was obvious and well found, especially since she had touched upon a lot of valid points. Kitsune knew that Naru was not the type of person who would be interested in anyone just because they had money. As rich as Kentaro was, Kitsune had to agree that he was not a person whose company most women would voluntarily seek after.

Except for opportunistic gold diggers.

_Like me…right?_ Kitsune thought bitterly, but quickly shook it off. This was not about her, it was about Naru.

"Okay fine, so you don't like Kentaro in **that** kind of way---then maybe someone else, perhaps a certain landlord whom you've spent an awful lot of time with, hmm?" Kitsune teased.

"We were **just** studying Kitsune. I know you have a selective memory, so in case you've forgotten, Mutsumi was there too. And besides, you were the one that was all over him," Naru countered, jumping onto the offensive. "I remember what happened. When we were chasing after that woman who had broken into Hinata Sou, she threw that marble that made us slip across the floor. I **saw** what happened between you two---care to explain the pet name?"

Kitsune instantly drew back, looking as though she had been slapped square in the face. But in a split second, she recovered, her eyes slowly shutting completely, and effectively blocking out any emotion from being able to pass through them.

"I slipped and fell," her voice carried a razor edged sharpness. "I didn't fall onto him on purpose. If it had been anyone else, then no one would have question it, but lets not forget, this is **Kitsune** we're talking about her, right? So automatically, you have to assume that there had to be some sort of ulterior motives involved! Fine then! If you're already dead set on believing it then I admit it Naru--you're absolutely right, I fell onto him on purpose because that's me, overly sexual, Kitsune the sl--"

"Kitsune, don't!" Naru was taken aback and could not bear to hear Kitsune degrade herself like that. "Don't say that about yourself."

Kitsune gave a coarse laugh. "Its okay, Naru, I've gotten used to it."

"Did they really call you that in high school? You should've told me…I would've…"

"You would've done what, Naru? You were so lost in your own little world back then; it just consisted of you---and Seta." Kitsune lifted her flask into the air. "A toast to all the wonderful men that have been in our lives!" she declared, before gulping its contents.

Naru eyed it suspiciously. "Is that sake? It is, isn't it?" her voice steadily rose in dread. "Kitsune you know what'll happen if **he** finds out."

"Let him," Kitsune shook the flask for good measure. "Let's see if he has the guts to back up his words."

**-------------------------------**

Keitaro was sitting on the rooftop with a lit cigarette, admiring the splendid view that was given to him of Hinata City. Lately, he had really begun to marvel at how relaxed he felt when he smoked. It really helped him cope with the stress. It was no wonder that Haruka and Seta were almost never seen without a cigarette.

If he were to strain his ears, he can make out the faintest of murmurs coming from below in the hot springs area. Keitaro quickly moved himself further away in order to keep the area out of his line of sight and keep himself unseen as well. After all, he was all about maintaining the privacy of the tenants, but at the same time he was not going to leave the rooftop either. It was comfortable and the fresh cool air helped him think.

But there was much more to than a relaxing atmosphere that had let to Keitaro's sudden interest on the roof. It was one of the major scenes of the crime. **That** woman had been up here on that night.

While Keitaro did not fancy himself a detective, the seemingly impenetrable air of mystery behind the events of that night was so perplexing---it just begged to be solved. He had spent entire afternoons and some evenings on the rooftop, day after day in hopes of an epiphany, something that would jog his memory and bringing forth a subtle clue that he had missed before.

So far it had panned out as nothing more than an empty gesture. A part of him realized that his time spent on the rooftop today would be just like all the other days. He was going to wind up perpetually scouring through the same worn out string of theories and speculations, second-guessing and rethinking them until nothing seemed plausible.

Just **how** had someone managed to break into Hinata Sou? Keitaro could admit that getting on to the grounds was not at all difficult, but getting onto the roof was a matter of its own entirety. From what had been deduced so far, the only way the woman could have possibly made it to the roof was if she came in through the actual dormitory itself.

If this was true, then it opened up a very grave possibility.

It was an inside job.

But who?

All the tenants had been present during that time; he was a witness to their own alibis.

All of them, except for Su.

He had of course questioned her the day after, but she had not exhibited even the slightest recollection of anything that had happened that night. Getting anything coherent out of her had turned out to be very tedious. She fidgeted almost hyperactively. When asked what she had been doing during the night, Su had responded that she must have really tired herself and fallen asleep since she had woken up the next day exceptionally exhausted.

That, of course, had set off a trigger. Could it be that she had been tired because she had been wandering around that night? Her absence during the entire occurrence was, and still remained, very strong case.

To add to the list of odd coincidences, he had also noticed there to be a stark physical resemblance the unknown woman had shared with Su. Nevertheless, Keitaro vividly recalled the woman having a much more developed figure, that of someone well nearing adulthood, not anywhere close to that of a middle schooler. The other residents had shared the same opinion. They had gotten a good enough look at the woman to where they could accurately remember her features.

Every feature except her face.

As it turned out, the woman had always happened to be just out of line of sight, or her back had been turned to them.

Since nobody was able to identify who she was to begin with, would seeing her face really have helped them out in anyway?

Keitaro doubted it, but there was always a chance that it may have been useful.

Then there was also the matter of the weapon the woman had carried. The possession of a full blown missile launcher was an extreme rarity indeed, if not something out of an action movie. From what Keitaro already knew about Su, she had a penchant for engineering. Though he had never had the chance to witness it firsthand, he had heard from Naru, Kitsune and Shinobu that Su had invented a great deal of diabolical machinations in the past, most of which ended up malfunctioning horribly of course. However, none of the three tenants had been able to recall any specific weapons of sorts, nothing like a projectile launcher anyway.

Keitaro was unmoved. In his opinion, Su had already shown that she was well adept in understanding and manufacturing weapons, after all, the self-targeting security system for her room was irrefutable proof of that.

Furthermore, there was also that bizarre marble that had, despite its miniature size, somehow managed to spew out gallons of the most slippery fluid he had ever come across in his life. Keitaro had returned to the hallway on the third floor no less than ten minutes after Tsuruko had disappeared and had discovered the wooden planks to be already dry, as though the liquid had vaporized into thin air. The marble was nowhere to be seen, probably dissolved for all he knew.

If he were to examine behavior, the unknown woman's unusually strong desire to protect Motoko, and Su's vow about making sure that Tsuruko would not take Motoko away had caught Keitaro's attention. It showed a potential motive, but Su's promise to Motoko had come off as more of an emotional outburst than anything else, it held little bearing.

Yet there was still that time to consider that time when Su had seamlessly lied to the medics about Shinobu's injury in order to protect Motoko, she had even convinced Haruka to go along with her. What did that say about her not being able to live up to her promise?

After weighing everything, Keitaro had concluded there to be a reasonable inclination toward Su, but he was alone in his way of thinking. None of the tenants could even fathom Su being capable of such a thing. Even Haruka was convinced that Su, while very reckless in her childish pranks, would not go so far as to sneaking a complete stranger into Hinata Sou.

But despite all the testimonies favoring Su and giving her the benefit of the doubt, the chances of their being any correlation between Su and the female perpetrator were high enough to where Keitaro believed that he could not rule her out.

If there had been one more connection between Su and the woman, only **one**, then it would have been all that was needed to confront her. But there was no hard evidence incriminating Su, so for now, he just watched and observed.

But what if Su really was innocent? Had Keitaro considered anyone else?

There was another person. In the event that it was not an insider who had let the woman in, it could only meant that it must have been an outsider. The only outsider that had been present at the time was Tsuruko.

In all honesty Keitaro felt her to be a much more viable suspect compared to Su. Tsuruko was the sole unknown factor that had entered Hinata Sou. The key aspect was that Tsuruko had been **in** Hinata Sou, meaning that she could have easily let someone else in. The more Keitaro thought about it, the more sense it made. He and Motoko had been locked away for the night, and were quite possibly the only ones that would actually be alert to anything like that happening at night. Everyone else had been sound asleep.

So could the mysterious woman and Tsuruko have been accomplices?

That is where Keitaro found himself stumped. The woman had made it pointedly obvious that she was trying to get to Motoko. On top of that, she had shot at Tsuruko, why would she have done that if they were accomplices?

However, what if that was part of the plan all along? Tsuruko was indeed a wild card and she had not deemed herself to be exactly trustworthy. Keitaro had already constructed the scenario of what took place in the open air bath: Once the woman had met with Tsuruko in the hot springs, their objectives had been completed the two of them had dispersed before he, Naru and Kitsune had entered.

That did hold distinct logic to it.

Indeed, it could have very well been another clever ruse on Tsuruko's part. But for what? Why would she intentionally jeopardize herself? And what possible **objective** were they trying to achieve?

Everything seemed to contradict itself.

There were so many possibilities, but none of them could be pieced together.

Keitaro might have categorized his progress as being a roundtrip back to square one, but sadly, he had never left square one to begin with.

Once again, Keitaro had not learned anything new. There was simply not enough information to go off of to reach a conclusion, too many questions, not nearly enough answers. His theories were half-baked at best and could go either way.

Keitaro tapped off a bit of ash from his cigarette off to the side, it was almost to the filter.

He had thought about calling the authorities would have something to say about it, but what was he supposed to tell them?

That it all started when one of his tenant's siblings had come to the dorm and they had faked an engagement to get her to leave? That she had known they were faking and then Keitaro had known that she had known? Did he forget to mention that she had knocked her sister out of the third floor?

And while he was on such an unstoppable roll, he could report that there had been an intruder that had snuck in as well: an unknown foreign woman who carried a rocket launcher which fired homing mini-missiles that locked onto a person. Also, the moon just happened to be red on that night.

No doubt they would think he was clinically insane. Even if he did omit out the some of the more outrageous details, he had waited far too long.

Tsuruko was long gone and Haruka had ordered a few construction workers come in and repair the hole. All the remnants of the damage caused by the chaos had vanished.

Keitaro snorted.

Some landlord he turned out to be, even the aftermath of it had to be handled by Haruka. He could not even keep track of what was going on at Hinata Sou half of the time. His ignorance had allowed an intruder slip in on **his **watch. Since then, Keitaro had developed the habit of checking that the front door was locked whenever he happened to be passing by the lobby, and to his surprise, it seemed to be left unlocked quite often.

No wonder Mutsumi had seemed to pop up out of seemingly nowhere for their study sessions.

_Mutsumi…_

He had heard absolutely nothing from Mutsumi since that day. Had she actually believed that he was engaged to Motoko? Mutsumi was very prone to taking what everyone said to face value. She was far too trusting to even consider that a person would choose to lie. Keitaro had debated with himself again and again on whether or not to go see her and clear things up, but as of yet, he had not gone.

_Nice move---That's only going to make her believe it even more._

"Umm…Manager-san?"

Keitaro nearly jumped at the sound of the voice. He turned around, startled to see Shinobu standing there. "Maehara-san, when did you…?"

"I was hanging the laundry."

"Oh."

Glancing at the clothesline, Keitaro wondered how long she had been behind him---apparently long enough to hang up **all** of the laundry. Keitaro wanted to slap himself. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that Shinobu had been right up on the roof with him this whole time and his senses were so dull that he never even registered her presence. So much for his vow to maintain constant vigilance.

Shinobu nervously stood in place, staring at the ground, and then hesitantly stepped forward. She sat down next to him, crossing her legs, and looked straight off into the distance, her features riddled in anxiety.

"Umm…so how do you like the food I make, Manager-san, is it good---what I mean is…is there anything that you'd like me to make for you, a favorite dish…or something---I'm not asking you a something too personal am I?" Her words seem to run into and stumble over each other.

Keitaro found himself struggling to sort what it was that Shinobu had been asking him in the first place. "Err…personally…I like your food a lot, the dishes that you make are good. In fact they're my favorites. Does that answer your question?"

Shinobu blushed, keeping her eyes forward. "Yes…yes you did answer my question. I'm glad you like my cooking."

They sat in silence for a while.

"Are you going to kick Motoko-semp---Motoko out now?"

That was an unexpected question, though Keitaro had already came to a decision on the issue long before. "She can remain as a tenant as long as she continues to pay the rent."

"But if…if Tsuruko-san has really exiled her then I don't think she'll be sending Motoko…any money since they've cut off their ties. What if Motoko can't pay anymore? We can't just throw her out, she's like fam--"

Keitaro quietly cut her off. "Maehara-san, we're not a family. Our household consists of a group of female tenants and a male landlord that live in the same house. Our relationship is strictly professional. If it just so happens that there comes a month where the tenant is unable to pay the rent the rent then…" He paused. "Then it's out of my hands. Is that what a family is to you? People who live together under the same roof only because it is financially the best option? People living together, brought together for the sake of money?"

"Yes…"

Keitaro shot a surprised glance at Shinobu, realizing what she had just said. She must have been referring to her parents. If he recalled correctly, it said that her parents had divorced in the resident profiles. "I wasn't imply--"

"It's okay. I know you weren't."

He studied Shinobu's face a little longer, noticing a blush creep onto her cheeks once again. He looked away. "You know, more than anything, I think that all of us came to Hinata Sou as way of a last resort. There was really no other place to go."

"Does… does that include---you?" Shinobu almost whispered the last word.

A silence followed, which made it seem like Shinobu had gone too far. She was about to apologize for being so forward, but before she had the chance to, Keitaro replied.

"Yeah…me too…"

"I'm glad---no I mean…" Shinobu became flustered. "I'm not glad that you came here because something bad happened to you---it's just that I'm glad that you're here."

Keitaro felt a smile tugging at his lips. He did not respond, gazing at the scenic view of Hinata City. He then squinted when he noticed that a column of thick black smoke billowing out into the sky. Intrigued, he stood up and walked to the edge of the roof to get a better look and realized that the smoke was originating from a very familiar building, one that he had visited before, an apartment complex…

"Oh my God," Keitaro whispered, standing up and walking forward to get a better view. "Do you see that, Maehara-san?"

"Umm, you're talking about the smoke right?"

Not really hearing Shinobu's words, Keitaro took a couple of steps back. He then spit out his cigarette, stomping it out before he nearly leapt down the stairs and onto the third floor of Hinata Sou, leaving a startled Shinobu in his wake.

He made it to the bottom floor and was passing by the changing room when he heard Naru's voice coming from inside.

"Hey, Narusegawa!" Keitaro called out, entering without any preamble. Unfortunately, he was too hasty in his decision and he found himself in a rather compromising position.

He had caught a half naked Naru, currently in the process of clipping on her bra.

Naru's cheeks turned bright red and her eyebrow twitched dangerously. So it had finally happened. From day one, she had tried to warn the others about this. After all this time, just as she had thought from the beginning, Keitaro had walked in on her. He was staring right at her, while she was at her most vulnerable.

Naru's head bowed down, her hair casting a shade over her features making it impossible to see her expression except for the darkening redness encapsulating her face. Keitaro, in a now useless attempt to spare her dignity, had averted his gaze and slowly began backing away, realizing the fatal mistake he had just made.

He had been panicked, still very much was, and it had completely slipped his mind as to what Naru would be doing in the changing room---changing of course.

How was he to explain that this was an accident? Would she understand? Keitaro severely doubted that any attempt of reason would work here, noticing that her form was beginning to quake.

Naru's right hand balled up, her knuckles crackling as she tightened her fist. Keitaro no longer even found it within himself to move anymore, the damage was already done. Anything he did now would be utterly useless.

Honestly, Keitaro could only place the blame himself, he **knew** better. Where did he get off just prancing into the changing area? Especially after all his talk about the hot springs being for women exclusively, and even going so far as to ban adults and children from bathing together violate the privacy of his tenants.

He had always been so cautious and alert regarding the hot springs in particular and made a conscientious effort to avoid the controversial area. During his entire time at Hinata Sou, he had only gone into the hot springs once, and that was on that night.

A **fine** landlord he was turning out to be. He had failed to keep an intruder from breaking in and now he was breaking the rules he had specifically made to avoid this kind of situation. He was now officially a hypocrite and if he got mad at Naru, he would be creating a double standard.

He realized much to his dismay, that he had stupidly fallen into one of those instances that, Naru: being a woman, could take full advantage of. She could easily claim this as sexual harassment or an unwanted advance. What was he going to say? That it was an accident? Being a guy had already condemned him, nobody would bother looking into it any further than that. No one would believe his word over hers, he was completely at her mercy and discretion.

_Who's the __**pervert **__now?_

He was really going to eat his words on this one.

Extraordinarily enough, Naru had still not moved at all yet, and Keitaro had ample opportunity to walk out, but for some reason his motor functions seemed have ceased, he could not do much of anything except stand there and stare at her, which of course made matters only worse.

Naru slowly stepped up to him, raising her fist. Any chance he had to leave had flown out the window now. Her breathing grew increasingly erratic. She looked like she was in a great deal of pain, as though she was struggling against an invisible opponent…and losing.

Was she okay? What was wrong with her?

Finally a wrenching sigh escaped her lips and she uncurled her fingers, the deep impressions on her palms left by her nails were impossible to miss. She then reached out with that hand and pressing her fingers against his chest, she shoved him back lightly. "You know, you really shouldn't walk in on a woman like that…" Her mouth was set in a very thin line.

Surprised and completely unaware as to what exactly had taken place in front of him just now, Keitaro could only offer a weak apology. "I'm sorry for violating your privacy…" He finally found it within him to move again, he turned to leave.

"What did you want?"

Keitaro halted in his tracks.

"Mutsumi---I came to get you because…I think Mutsumi's in trouble." Suddenly, he had a mental jumpstart and realized why he had run in on Naru in the first place. "At Mutsumi's apartment! A fire!"

Keitaro had snapped back to his senses, and swiftly spun around, gearing to go.

"Hold on!" Naru commanded, grabbing onto her shoulder. "I'm coming with you!"

Keitaro kept his eyes forward, gazing longingly at the exit. "All right, I'll just---"

"No, stay here! I know you're going to run off otherwise. Just turn around or something…"

"Listen—"

"You went through all this trouble to get me, right?! The least you can do is wait for me, especially after you barged in on me like that!" Naru still did not let go of his shoulder, as though he would bound off the moment she let go, which Keitaro was still considering to do so.

He stood silent for a few moments longer before he finally relented. "Fine, just let go of me. You've got thirty seconds."

Naru's released him, and Keitaro let out a frustrated sigh as he began mentally counting backwards from thirty. The situation was intensely awkward. He was glad that his back was to her since his cheeks were giving off so much heat that he absolutely knew it must have looked like they were aflame. Despite his best efforts to tune it out, he was subjected to listening to the loud rustling as Naru put on her clothes merely a couple of feet behind him.

_Six-one thousand, five-one thousand…_

It was at this time that Kitsune walked into the changing room, only to stop dead in her tracks when she discovered Naru---pulling her shirt over her head, and the person right behind her was…Keitaro?! She could only bring herself to point a wary finger at them. "What're the both of you---"

Keitaro's patience wore out and he lunged for the door. "I don't have time for this!"

"Okay---okay, I'm ready---let's go!" Naru declared; then shot a glance back at Kitsune. "It's Mutsumi, I'll explain later!" She then took off after Keitaro.

Keeping alongside one another, it almost became a race between them as they dashed through the lobby and onto the main steps.

Keitaro, his eyebrows furrowed, turned to Naru. "Seriously…I'm sorry about---"

"It's okay!" Naru cut him off almost harshly, but then her tone lightened. "People make mistakes…you're not the only one…at least **yours** was an accident…"

Her statement had far too many implications for Keitaro to pick out what exactly she was referring to. He did not bother to ask either and decided it was best to leave it to that.

As they entered into the park that lay which lay on the route to the apartments, Naru managed to gasp out a question between her breaths. "By…the way…why'd…you come…to get me?"

"Well…we're a team, aren't we?" Keitaro responded and then felt a comically large bead of sweat form on his forehead. That had sounded ridiculously corny. A quick glance at Naru's amused smile was enough to tell him that it was as sappy as he had feared. "It was a gut reaction okay?! You were the first person that came to mind!"

"Okay, okay," Naru conceded, though her smile remained.

In a rush to maintain the shortest route possible, they made a straight beeline toward the playground which stood as an obstacle in their path. Keitaro instinctively realized that the terrain had changed and adjusted his footing as he leapt through the sandbox. Unfortunately, Naru did not notice it until it was too late.

"Aaaaaah!"

Keitaro stopped, and turned around. Naru had tripped over a protruding lump of sand, most likely the handiwork of some children. When Naru looked up at him on her knees, he suddenly felt a spiny tingling sensation trickle through his back. A momentous flash in his mind, a split instant—a young girl, a child, patting the top of a small mountain of sand and then…

Just like that the memory was gone, but the sharp feeling was there. It was almost like a premonition.

Keitaro found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Naru and the scenery of a small grove behind her. In his overwhelming rush, he had barely registered that this was **that** playground**---that **sandbox. The one he had been intimately familiar with fifteen years ago.

None of it mattered right now.

"Come on, get up! We've got to hurry!"

"You go on!" Naru replied. "I'll catch up!"

"Hurry!" was all Keitaro could say before he left Naru in the sandbox.

Once he arrived at the apartment complex, his worst fears were quelled somewhat. The fire seemed to be concentrated on one side of the building and had did not seem to be out of control yet. The smoke in the air had misled Keitaro into thinking it was far worse than it was…for now at least.

The fire was spreading quickly, feeding off the wooden structure itself. If left unchecked, it would only be a matter of time before the entire building would be consumed by the blazing wildfire.

Making his way through a small crowd of people that had gathered and were watching the spectacle, Keitaro went towards the building, only to cut off by a rather easygoing looking young man.

"Dude, what're you doing? Can't you see that the place is on fire? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Keitaro was frantic. "Did you see a woman make it out of there? She's sort of frail looking and has long black hair with two antenna-like strands sticking from the front."

"What?" The man asked in confusion, crossing his arms as he gave a lopsided smile. "You mean to tell me that there's actually someone living there?"

Without a second thought, Keitaro growled, grabbing the man's collar and roughly shoving him out of the way. Ignoring the other shouts and warnings from the crowd, he scrambled up the stairs. Just as he approached the top, Mutsumi stumbled out right in front of him and slumped onto his chest.

Keitaro let out a short gasp, his eyes widening.

_She's…she's so soft..._

It was then that Keitaro realized what a sheer twist of luck it was that he had happened to be sitting on the rooftop. It had given an almost bird's eye view of the black smoke, and if he had not left when he did, there would have been no one to catch Mutsumi just now.

"Mutsumi, can you hear me?"

Taking care to be as gentle as possible, Keitaro checked for a pulse---there was none and she was not breathing either.

He did not notice that his own breathing had ceased, until he finally forced out a breath, whispering. "Mutsumi…?" his heart plunged in fright.

He wrapped his arms around her protectively, truly realizing for the first time just how frail Mutsumi was. Surprisingly, she was a lot lighter than Keitaro would have imagined.

"Hey, Mutsumi," he began, as a stinging moisture began to creep into his eyes. The smoke must have been irritating them. "You know that whole deal about the engagement, it wasn't real, it was fake---I just…"

_Why the hell am I bringing that up at a time like this?_ Keitaro scolded himself, blinking to force his eyes dry. Instead of trying to lamely justify himself, what needed to do was get her down the stairs. With as much grace as he could possibly muster at the moment, Keitaro took a step backward onto the stair step below, forcing the bulk of his weight onto his right leg as he fought to keep Mutsumi properly balanced. This was going to an incredibly tricky maneuver. He was going to have to get down the stairs without slipping.

In the more than likely event that he did lose his footing, while Keitaro was more than certain that he would be able to walk it off after about a minute, Mutsumi on the other hand would most certainly not make it through, even if he did take the full impact of the fall. She was so very fragile, so helpless. Keitaro had never felt such a strong desire to protect someone.

Bracing himself, Keitaro secured his embrace on Mutsumi as he prepared to move his left leg down a step. _Please, just this once…don't let me be a klutz, not when she's depending on me…I can't…_

He shifted his heel and took a step back.

_Damn it!_

He had ended up going too far and the tip of his left foot precariously settled down at the edge of the stair. He could already feel it slipping and gritted his teeth, straining his calf muscles to keep his legs rigid.

Keeping one arm locked around Mutsumi, he reached out with the other to grab the railing in an effort to maintain equilibrium, but it was too late little too late. Resilient as his mindset was, unfortunately his body had betrayed him and was not able to meet his mentally hard driven demands. His left leg buckled and he could feel himself falling backward. The last rational thought he had was to tuck Mutsumi's head to his chest.

Suddenly, he felt a pair of slender hands press just underneath his shoulder blades, the force exerted from them lending him enough support to push him upright again.

"Don't worry, I got you."

That was Naru's voice! She had made it.

"Just in time, huh?" Keitaro managed to breathe out, he looked at Mutsumi, still no sign of any movement. His heart sunk even lower.

"Let's hurry up and get down from here," Naru piped up. "No offense, but you guys are pretty heavy, I don't know how long I can kept this up."

Carefully, he and Naru navigated down the remainder of the stairs, with Naru taking a step down first and then supporting him as he took a step down, carefully holding Mutsumi against him. When they finally reached the bottom, they were quickly surrounded by a concerned group of people.

_Now they decide to help…_ Keitaro thought wryly, refusing to give Mutsumi over to any of them.

"Ayame…"

It was the faintest trace of a whisper.

"Ayame is still inside…"

Keitaro's heart nearly skipped a beat. She was conscious, she was awake, she was…alive. An irrevocable sense of relief rushed over him.

"Ayame…?" Naru asked curiously. Then her eyes lit up. "That must be her roommate! She's still inside! You've got to go get her."

Keitaro could only look on as Naru took Mutsumi from his arms. He had not wanted to relinquish Mutsumi just yet. "But…"

"It's alright, I'll take care of Mutsumi---I promise."

Keitaro remained hesitant, casting an uncertain glance at Mutsumi, but then nodded to Naru. A moment later, he was bounding up the stairs once again. The door to the apartment was open and no sooner had he made his way inside, he fell into a coughing fit. The fumes were getting stronger. Nonetheless, he ventured deeper into the apartment to save the woman that he had never met, let alone seen before. A complete stranger, but someone that was important and close to Mutsumi.

Keitaro remained cautious to the fact that there was plenty of debris and dust floating throughout the area, and kept his breathing to a minimum. Fortunately, it did not take long to locate Mutsumi's roommate. The woman was sitting on a chair in the middle of the living room.

Carefully maneuvering through the furniture, Keitaro approached her. "Hey can you hear me?!" He shook her shoulder lightly. "You've got to get up!"

It had no effect on the woman. She did not even so much as acknowledge his presence. She just sat there, catatonic, her green eyes wide as saucers, utterly impassive to the flames that burned mercilessly around her. Apparently, she had gone into shock.

Whether or not the woman was willing to cooperate, Keitaro had decided that he going to get her out of here.

He faced away from the woman and kneeled. Pushing away his reluctance, he reached behind him and pulled her arms forward, looping them around his neck.

The fire was beginning to seep in through the walls, the unexpected heat spreading across the room pierced at Keitaro's skin, filling him with a renewed sense of urgency. This was not the time for him to get caught up in with his personal qualms about touching a female.

He forced his remaining reservations aside and reached behind him again, this time he positioned his hands underneath her bare thighs, grunting crossly at the fact that she happened to be wearing a skirt, one that went far above her knees. What was with the whole schoolgirl fashion anyway?

_All right, let's just get this over with…_

He then stood up, effectively hoisting her onto his back, but almost fell back in surprise when the woman's legs unexpectedly wrapped around his waist, her ankles locking in front of his stomach. Whether or not the woman was aware of what she was doing, he did not know.

The walls were starting to crumble and Keitaro strode toward the door as fast as he could. Suddenly, he felt a pleasurable tickle at the nape of his neck, and heard the woman let out what almost sounded like a contented purr.

Was she nuzzling him?

He could feel her warm breath on his neck, slowly traveling up to his earlobe.

"I…" she huffed quietly. "I **knew** you'd come."

Keitaro stopped dead. An unbidden chill trickled down the length of his spine. What was she talking about? He had never even met this woman before!

The searing heat of the flames which were enclosing in on his sides jolted him to get moving again. Keitaro told himself to calm down, what the woman said held no importance. Being caught in the fire must have simply caused her to go delirious. The fumes must have gotten to her, she had no idea what she was saying or doing.

Charred and battered, but none the worse for wear, Keitaro, with Mutsumi's roommate holding onto him like a life preserver, burst out of the apartment and made it down the stairs just as the brazen fire consumed the building entirely. Firefighters and emergency personnel had finally arrived. His spirits lifted when he saw Mutsumi, whom he had feared the worst for, looking quite lively and animated as she talked happily with Naru and the medic that was treating her.

That was just like Mutsumi. Supposedly on the brink of death one moment, and then completely fine the next.

Keitaro suppressed the desire to run over to them, remembering the burden that he was carrying. Fortunately, he was quickly noticed. Emergency personnel rushed over to take the girl from him.

Surprisingly, even though the woman seemed to have gone unconscious, her hold on him was unbreakable. It was only when Keitaro finally reached out to touch her arms that she let out a light gasp and she finally let go of him, allowing the medics to take her away.

By the time the fire was finally put out, the entire building lay in a ruin of blackened wood, molten ash and burnt rubble. Nothing was salvaged.

**-------------------------------**

Aside from a few scratches, Mutsumi quickly recovered and her roommate Ayame turned out to be okay as well, or at least she insisted she was, giving a particularly seething glare to a medic who had dared to suggest otherwise, advising her to remain for further treatment.

Mutsumi had no insurance, and had been renting, so she along with Ayame, were homeless now. There was no compensation whatsoever for everything they had just lost. Seeing as how there was nothing left for them at the site where the apartment complex had once stood, they eventually headed out and made their way to the park.

"Ara, that's right, I never properly introduced you," Mutsumi suddenly declared out of nowhere. "Naru-san, Keitaro-kun, this is my roommate---was my roommate I suppose--- Ryouzaki Ayame."

Ayame barely even glanced at them. "Nice to meet you," she gave curt bow and then quickly turned away.

"Nice to meet you to…" Naru trailed, put off by Ayame's behavior.

"Have we met before?" Keitaro asked, squinting curiously, he really had not paid much attention to her before, but now that he looked at her, for some odd reason, Ayame struck him as someone familiar. He knew he had seen her before, he was certain of it. He just could not place where.

As he searched her face, Ayame made it a point to turn away from him, her cheeks glowing a shade of crimson at the attention she was receiving from Keitaro.

"No, we've never met," she mumbled, shrinking behind Mutsumi.

'She's shy,' Mutsumi mouthed.

Keitaro could only nod uncertainly.

As they trekked through the park, Mutsumi suddenly faltered, a telltale sign that she was about go through another fainting spell at any moment. They decided to take a break and the four of them settled on a nearby bench just in front of the playground.

"I still can't believe that the fire consumed the entire building," Naru started, incredulously. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was nothing short of arson."

"Do you know what started it, Mutsumi?" Keitaro inquired.

"No I don't, maybe it was the water heater exploding? Ayame, do you know?"

"No," Ayame bluntly replied.

Mutsumi smiled sadly. "The _kotatsu_, my watermelons, clothes…and my mock exam scores, all my documents for Tokyo U they're all gone. I suppose its best that I head back to Okinawa and…well I suppose it all ends well, my landlord was talking about tearing down the whole place anyway…"

"Actually," Ayame started, pulling out a folder from underneath her plaid vest. "At the last second, I managed to grab these."

"Are those…?" Mutsumi opened the flap, revealing the contents, which turned out to be all of Mutsumi's Tokyo U essentials.

"Oh my, thank you so much!" Mutsumi gushed, enveloping her startled roommate in a hug. "Maybe I was wrong, maybe this year is the year that I…" Turning her gaze to the playground, she took on an almost wistful expression. All of a sudden, without a word, she stood up, paying no heed to a concerned Naru warning her that she needed to rest.

As though she was in a world of her own, Mutsumi went over to the sandbox, and then gracefully set herself down in front of a large mound of sand, the same one that Naru had tripped over earlier. She took a handful of sand grains and began patching up the portion which had been accidentally kicked away by Naru.

"Come here you two!" Mutsumi called out to them.

Keitaro and Naru glanced at each other, sharing a mutual look of confusion.

"She's not talking to me," Ayame deadpanned.

To be honest, Keitaro was starting to feel increasingly uneasy. The playground was one of those places that he preferred to avoid if he could, especially since it usually brought back a lot of memories that he no longer wanted. But there was a part of him that had been wondering about something, ever since he had first met Mutsumi. And strangely enough, while he did not understand why, it was beginning to seem as though Naru belonged as well.

That is why when Naru got up, he did too, and the two of them went to the sandbox, each sitting down on either side of Mutsumi. The mountain of sand was at the center, the focal point between them.

Together, the three of them simply waited, but something was not right, they all could sense it.

"Narusegawa," Keitaro said, standing up. "I think we're supposed to switch."

Naru looked at him uncertainly and got up. As the two of them silently traded places, Mutsumi was busy, rounding out the edges of the hill of sand.

Once Keitaro had resituated himself, he looked across at Naru and was greeted with the sight of a small grove behind her. Suddenly, he found himself overwhelmed by an inexplicable dose of nostalgia. So that was the image from before had signified, but if he remembered something like that about Naru, that could only mean…no---that could not be it. It was nothing short of an impossibility.

All of a sudden, the three of them spontaneously reached out at once, without any sort of visual indication to one another, as though the action had been scripted into their very being, and placed their palms at the to of sand mountain at once. It was eerie, but it just seemed…right.

Nothing happened though.

What had they been expecting anyway? A flash of white light---some magic, perhaps?

"Something's missing," Naru appeared to be confused by her own words, but kept looking at the empty space to her right, the one that lay between her and Keitaro.

Though he could not explain why, Keitaro found himself sharing the same sentiment as well.

His eyes darted to the bench and he saw Ayame adamantly staring at them---at him specifically. Even when their eyes met, she continued to ogle him, and even from this distance, a scowl could be seen mangling her features. She was gripping the sides of the bench as if she wanted to tear it out of the ground.

"You're right, Naru, but I don't think it's a person," Mutsumi whispered.

Naru nodded, and then asked. "Am I the only one that has no idea why we're doing this, but at the same time, it feels like its right? Like it's been arranged this way?"

Keitaro swallowed hard, too afraid to say anything, though Naru had taken the words right out of his mouth. The very implications of what they were doing struck him at the core. This was where that **promise **had occurred, the one that had ultimately dictated the last fifteen years of his existence. He used to believe it to be a constant, his destiny; it had essentially mapped out his very life.

Mutsumi and Naru; what was their connection to all of this? The link was there, it was an undeniable bond between them, one that seemed to stem far deeper than them meeting three months ago. Everything flowed so naturally. Somewhere deep down, this---whatever it was that they were doing, could they call it playing?---was all familiar to him.

It was too much for Keitaro to take in at once and his weariness finally got the best of him, lulling him into a very relaxed state. Keitaro spread out his arms and fell backwards into the gritty sand beneath him. He wanted to sink into it and surprisingly, that is exactly what happened.

He could himself submerging into it, a strangely enjoyable sensation, but when it became apparent that the sand was creeping up over his face as well, Keitaro panicked and finally found the will to resist before he was consumed entirely. Oddly enough, he did not have to struggle at all, the grains of sand simply slid off as they normally would. But what was uncovered underneath shocked him.

His arms and legs had shrunk to nearly half its size.

"Kei-kun!"

What had happened?

"Kei-kun!"

Right before his very eyes, a child version of Mutsumi and a child version of Naru were busily piling layers of sand, apparently constructing something. They both looked to be no older than four. He then noticed a yellow stuffed cat occupying the fourth space which had been empty.

"Of course, it's Liddo-kun!" Keitaro exclaimed in a much squeakier voice than he would have expected. He had seen it in Naru's room before, that must why he had recognized it! But if the Liddo-kun belonged to Naru, then that meant---

"Kei-kun!"

He whipped his head to the source of the voice and caught sight of a somber teenage girl calling out to him.

"Haruka…?"

Lost in confusion, he shifted his gaze back to the sandbox only to see that Mutsumi and Naru had disappeared out of sight, as though they were never there to begin with. He glimpsed toward the bench where Haruka had been standing merely a split second before, there was nothing there…she had vanished as well.

He was alone!

There was faint tug on his shirt and Keitaro turned to see an unnamed but entirely all too recognizable little girl, wearing her ever present outfit of the pinstriped shirt and overalls, grasping onto a stuffed yellow Liddo-kun doll.

It was her. The **promised** girl.

"What happened to everyone?" Keitaro whispered, not daring to take his gaze away from her for fear that she too would disappear if he did.

"That doesn't matter as long as I'm here right?" The girl asked with a childlike innocence.

"Who are you?" Keitaro demanded, annoyed that his voice sounded like he was chirping.

The girl's face was so androgynous that even now, he still could not recognize her completely. She had a lot of familiar features, but they did not match specifically to any girl that he remembered. It was almost like she a hybrid between a younger version of Naru and a younger version of Mutsumi, as though she had been essentially carved from the both of them, then blended together at perfect proportions.

"You already know," the girl answered.

Just then, a powerful urge to flee viciously seized hold of Keitaro. He had to escape from the sandbox! The sand pulled deeply at his legs and even though his mind was screaming at him to run, he had to fight with each and every agonizing stride, persevering with all his might toward the edge. But to his horror, Keitaro realized that he never got any closer to it.

"Why can't you leave me alone?! I left you, I'm finished with you! Why won't you leave me be and let me move on with my life?"

The blissful smile never left the little girl's face as she leaned in toward Keitaro, "You're so silly, Kei-kun. I never left this place. It's **you** that keeps coming back to me," she giggled before pressing her lips against his cheek.

Without any warning, everything melted in on itself and reshaped itself into a bleak grey sky. Realizing that he was still lying down, Keitaro let out a muffled groaned as he shifted himself upright, shaken by the bizarre vision. He put it aside for now, too exhausted to dwell on it at the moment.

Mutsumi and Naru were only a few feet away from him, normal-aged again thank goodness, both shaping the mountain of sand together, giggling as they fought over who would get the honor of molding the rounded peak.

Could it be that one of them was…**her**?

The realization was one too disturbing for him to even think about. Before, he had always believed that finding his promise girl would be one of the, if not most, important event of his life. But now, the idea that he may have very well already met her terrified him. If anything he hoped that he would never meet her, because if he did, then he would be trapped, he would be forced to succumb to a life not of his choice, but to a life that had already been written out.

Such a foolish little child he had been back then, naïve wit his dreaming and romanticizing all the aspects of adulthood. His past may have caught up with him for a moment, but he would move forward again and leave it in the dust. He was not that innocent five year old boy anymore.

Keitaro's attention was redirected as he saw Mutsumi, gracious as ever, surrendering herself and allowing Naru to sculpt the top of the mountain. It was that lack of assertiveness that had kept Mutsumi from getting into Tokyo U for so long. Mutsumi was far too kind for her own good, always putting others above herself, even if it came back to harm her in the end.

"Did you know," Mutsumi began softly, an otherworldly expression gracing her features. Naru and Keitaro both froze, hanging on her every word. "That if---"

"Hey, what're you adults doing? Move over and let the kids play here!"

Naru, Mutsumi and Keitaro all turned to see three little girls advancing toward them. The one in the front, who seemed to be the leader and the one that had spoken up earlier, sneered at them.

"Aren't you a little **old **to still be playing in a sandbox?"

While she did not have to be such a brat about it, the little girl did make a relevant argument. After all, they were practically college students; they must have been a ridiculous sight to behold, sitting in a sandbox at a children's playground. Although it was technically public property, it was pretty much a given assumption that a child had more of right to be here than they did.

Feeling a tad bit embarrassed, Keitaro Naru and Mutsumi quickly got up without a word. No sooner had they departed, the girl and her friends hopped right in and began throwing sand, kicking and running as they chased one another.

"Hey, they're trampling it!" Naru exclaimed angrily.

"Does it matter?" Keitaro asked. "It was just a lump of sand."

"We can always rebuild it," Mutsumi murmured softly.

They were silently joined by Ayame, who fixatedly observed Keitaro until he happened to glance her way. She quickly turned away and shrank behind Mutsumi.

"So, Keitaro-kun," Mutsumi inquired. "Any particular reason you wanted to tell me that the engagement between you and Motoko-san was a fake?"

Naru simply looked from Mutsumi to Keitaro with a puzzled expression. "When'd you tell her that?"

All of a sudden, Mutsumi stopped just then. Apparently, Ayame had grabbed onto her arm. "What's wrong, Ayame?"

"That engagement you told me about was a **fake?**" Ayame whispered, glaring sharply.

Mutsumi, the only one that could hear Ayame, missed the hint of anger in her voice. "Ara, it would appear so…right Keitaro-kun?"

Keitaro blanched. Mutsumi had actually heard that? How? She had been unconscious, had no pulse and had not even been breathing, yet she could still hear what he had said?!

"Yes it was. I was never engaged to Aoyama, I…I just thought you should know…"

"You thought I should know…why?"

Keitaro found it hard to meet Mutsumi's eyes, but made himself anyway. "Because ever since then, you didn't come back."

"Since the mock exams are done, there's really no reason for me to come over anymore…is there?"

Keitaro grinned. "Well, we've still got to study for the **actual** exams, right?"

**-------------------------------**

Inside her room, Motoko humbly kneeled in front of the family heirloom. It was a relic from the past, a symbol of her pride, the old samurai armor, no longer used because it was no longer necessary.

Her eyes flickered to her blade…both pieces of it. When she had first woken, three days after the night she had been marked as a disgrace, Motoko had found it already placed on the scabbard and had not dared touch it since then. No matter how badly she wanted to take the end of the blade and pierce it through her abdomen.

She would cling onto the worthless shred of honor she had left, just as Tsuruko had told her to, and she would never touch the sword ever again. But it would remain in her room where she would be able to see it each and every day, an exquisite torture, and a fitting punishment.

Very carefully, Motoko removed the helmet from the armor and lifted the heavy chest piece. Behind it was the novel that was supposed to have been forgotten for good and left to gather dust. It lay right side up, clearly showing the title: The Young Maiden's Beating Heart.

Motoko paused in curiosity. Although, it had been so long ago, she specifically recalled that she had placed her book face down, to signify that she had turned her back to it. Burying her novel inside her armor had been her way of symbolizing that her swordsmanship had buried her desire to write. Casting aside the horrendous ideas she put on paper in favor for the pure way of life of the warrior.

Slowly, Motoko opened the book, the binding crackling lightly as she did so. She turned to the first page and read through the entirety of it until the story abruptly ceased at blank page. Nothing was written after that

Motoko moved over to the table, and took hold of a pen. She straightened out the crease of the page and with a trembling hand, she began writing.

_The thing that you have to do is, die before getting killed…_

**-------------------------------**


	21. A Feminine Rivalry

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters. This is just a random fic that is loosely based off both the manga and anime.

**------------------------------- **

**Chapter 20: A Feminine Rivalry**

"I don't think I've inside here before," Mutsumi murmured. "Was this always a teahouse?"

Her awed expression was enough to make Keitaro have a look around himself. The old run down teahouse which had once been had disappeared; though if he tried hard enough, he could still find faint remnants here and there.

The renovations had come along quite nicely: fancy, well furnished booths wooden bordered along the walls, a nice sleek bar adorned the corner, and in the center of it all was a square shaped lounge with plush, velvet sofas bordering its sides. Even the staircase had been reworked and widened, hinting at the unseen possibilities of the marvelous changes which had might have taken place on the top floors. It looked like an interior decorator had gone through it.

He nodded approvingly.

_Out with the old, in with the new._

Honestly, Keitaro found himself surprised that Haruka of all people was business savvy enough to understand that, but he supposed that even his non-ambitious Aunt was inclined to take advantage of such an opportunity.

"I'm actually not so sure, Mutsumi," Keitaro replied. "But I think I remember that it used to be the office where the guests registered back when Hinata Sou used to be an inn."

"It was."

Naru, Keitaro, and even Mutsumi glanced back quizzically. Ayame had barely whispered it, but it still felt like it had echoed. Keitaro had almost forgotten that she was with them.

"Good afternoon to you all! A party of four?" Kentaro approached them, a far too wide to be natural smile plastered on his face.

"I…suppose so…" Keitaro replied uncertainly, and was whisked away by an overzealous Kentaro to a booth on the side. As they seated themselves, Kentaro laid out cups for each of them.

"Here's your tea, compliments of our most wonderful and gracious owner," Kentaro's voice seemed strained and his hand was visibly trembling even as he tried to pour it into the cup, only to spill it. "Sorry…I'm so sorry sir; I'll get you another one right away."

Keitaro glanced up, getting a better look and saw that Kentaro looked positively fatigued. "Hey are you okay?"

But Kentaro was wiping the spill with almost fanatic fervor. With still quaking hands, he expertly poured the tea for Keitaro, and then Mutsumi, Ayame, and finally Naru, all the while giving a twitchy smile that came off as almost eerie.

Sitting beside Keitaro, Naru squirmed uncomfortably, biting her lip in indecision. She lifted a finger, opening her mouth as if to say something, and faltered. Her jaw clenched, and she tried again, but her mouth simply hung open aimlessly. Kentaro remained oblivious to anything except his task, not even acknowledging that he had recognized her, and hurried away to another table. Naru's face fell slightly, but she seemed to relax a bit as well. She was off the hook.

Just then, Haruka appeared and propped up a chair at the side of the booth. She casually half nodded in greeting, but suddenly jerked her head, her questioning gaze lingered on Mutsumi, who started to blush slightly.

"So you're the Otohime girl," she tapped her cigarette into an ashtray. "And who's this?" she nodded to Ayame.

Ayame did not respond, tucking her arms between her thighs, and shrinking back.

"This is Ryouzaki Ayame," Mutsumi answered for her.

Haruka arched a skeptical eyebrow. "Okay…"

"So, how does this work?" Keitaro asked. "You're reopening the sections of the teahouse as they're rebuilt? What about just doing a grand opening?"

Haruka smirked. "We'll have that too."

He looked around the teahouse and took in the loud atmosphere. "It's surprising how you're still getting so many customers."

Haruka snubbed her cigarette in an ashtray and took a sip of her tea. "That accident with Kentaro created quite a buzz about this place. All that free publicity and attracted a lot of attention, and you're seeing the results of that now."

"Well, it's an…original way to advertise," Keitaro drawled. "I guess you should actually be grateful to Kentaro, huh?"

"I liked the small quaint feel a lot better, it was more homely," Haruka exhaled a thin white cloud, and gave them all a once over. "I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you didn't just stop by to chat."

Mutsumi explained what happened, at the end of which a nonplussed Haruka simply said, "Whoa, you certainly did a number there."

"So now," Mutsumi took a tentative sip of her tea. "We're homeless."

Immediately, Haruka shot a look at Keitaro, who only smiled back sheepishly. Already it was apparent that Haruka had deciphered exactly what he had been thinking, but she seemed determined not to say anything and instead casually lounged back in her seat. A silence had fallen, and Haruka waited; Keitaro was certain she was testing to see how he would proceed with his civic duty as landlord.

"We do have an extra room left at Hinata Sou…" Keitaro slowly started.

"Can I take that?" Ayame burst out, and then grew silent, glowing bright red.

Mutsumi smiled gracefully, "That would be great for you Ayame!"

Keitaro felt a small pang. "But Mutsumi, where are you---?"

"I've got plenty of extra room here at the teahouse, your welcome to stay here if you want, Mutsumi," Haruka suggested offhandedly.

"Really?" Mutsumi asked. "Thank you Haruka-san---that will work out just fine."

Keitaro eyed Ayane warily, annoyance grazing him. Once again, Mutsumi had selflessly stepped aside and allowed someone to reap the benefits. Keitaro would have gladly vouched for her over Ayame, but since Mutsumi already seemed content with Haruka's offer, he decided to let the matter drop.

They sat quietly, sipping on their tea, and Haruka hailed down Kentaro for some snacks. Not realizing up until now that he was starving, Keitaro shoveled a handful of crackers onto his tray.

"How were the mock exams for you, Keitaro, good, bad, decent?" Haruka asked.

Keitaro's back suddenly stiffened and he nearly choked, gulping down a mouthful of tea to help him swallow the unruly crackers. He set the empty cup on the table a little too forcefully then he had intended too.

"They were good," he replied vaguely.

Haruka stared at him blankly. Naru, Mutsumi, and even Ayame were all watching him eagerly now. Under sudden scrutiny, Keitaro decided to divert the attention away from him.

"Well, how did you two do?"

"I got 87," Mutsumi clapped her hands together, grinning blissfully.

"I got a 93," Naru said curtly with slight agitation.

"Wow, that's really…" Keitaro bit onto another cracker for nothing else except for sake of keeping himself occupied. "That's…that's great…"

He was not all that surprised, they had come a long way from the beginning, and Mutsumi and Naru had always been near the top of their game to begin with, it was him that had sprung out of nowhere.

"And that's not all," Mutsumi added her eyes shimmering in admiration. "Naru-san scored the second highest in the nation."

Naru scowled at nothing in particular. She looked like she wanted to strangle whoever it was that had managed to trump her on something she had worked her middle school and high school career for.

"Is that so?" Keitaro croaked. Why was he feeling so nervous all of a sudden?

In a futile effort at escape, he had subconsciously inched toward the wall until his entire side was pressed up against it. Once again, everyone turned to him expectantly, waiting. Keitaro hesitated. For some reason, a part of him had become convinced that revealing his score would somehow not make it real anymore. It was for him, and for him to know alone.

How much more selfish could he get?

It was because of _both_ Mutsumi and Naru that he had gotten as far as he had, that he had even found the will to break out from his frozen panic and take the mock exam. He could trust them. He could tell them. He owed it to them.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Haruka said.

Keitaro winced, feeling more and more like a jerk for being so obvious. "No, no it's not that…"

He was ready, there was the just the question of Ayame now, but Keitaro decided to let it go. It was not like she knew anything about him; what did it matter?

Still, he felt a bit paranoid about saying it out loud. "Here," he pulled out the envelope which he always made sure to have on him and unfolded it onto the table. "Look…" he whispered, wary that somebody else would overhear.

Haruka was first to look through it, gave an approving nod and then passed it on to Mutsumi, who congratulated him while Ayame leaned over her shoulder to peer at it. The red haired girl's went wide as saucers and she seemed to almost gasp.

"Can I see that---please?" Naru persisted, and practically snatched the paper from Mutsumi's gentle grasp. She squinted, tracing the words with her fingers. Apparently not being able to believe what she was seeing, she straightened the paper. "One second…" She shuffled in her seat, bumping up against Keitaro, and dipped her hands into her pocket. Her face reddened, and she seemed to be straining, bumping into Keitaro again. "Err…" was all the apology she stammered out.

Keitaro scooted away and watched, confused.

Finally, Naru pulled out a slim case, and unlatched it, propping her obscenely thick coke bottle glasses onto her nose. "Now lets see here…" Her lips moved silently as she read through it, and then her jaw slacked in astonishment. She turned to Keitaro, the disbelief etched in her magnified. She seemed to search his face, as though she did not recognize him. Keitaro could almost see the unspoken question at the tip of her lips.

"It's not a misprint, believe me, I checked," he said softly, unable to keep the begrudging out of his tone.

Naru reddened, apparently embarrassed that her disbelief was so obvious. "Oh…no, I wasn't---that wasn't…" Naru awkwardly handed it back to him.

Keitaro noticed that the paper had crumpled where Naru had gripped it.

"I…I have to go---" Averting her eyes, Naru slipped out of the booth.

Haruka grabbed her arm. "Hey Naru, since you're heading out, go show Ayame and Mutsumi into Hinata Sou, would you?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Naru replied hesitantly.

Haruka hardly noticed Naru trying to tug her arm away, and continued. "Let the others know what's going on. Oh, and Mutsumi, stop by in the evening, I'll have your room set up for you."

Mutsumi thanked Haruka and stood up, but Ayame seemed reluctant to move, her eyes flitting towards Keitaro for a moment. Haruka's dismissal was clear though, she wanted to talk to Keitaro in private, and Ayame quietly followed Naru and Mutsumi out, glancing behind her shoulders once more before disappearing through the front door.

"Odd…" Haruka remarked squinting.

Keitaro took a sip of his tea. "Who? Narusegawa, or the near-mute Ryouzaki?"

"Neither, I'm talking about the Otohime girl…"

Keitaro's pulse quickened. "What about her?" he asked cautiously.

"She looks…she looks just like her mother," Haruka's somber expression melted into an amused smile, and before Keitaro could ask her to elaborate, she said, "Your scores though…that's pretty damn impressive, Keitaro. At the rate you're going, Hinata Sou will be yours in no time. You still plan on turning it into an all guys dorm?" Her smile dropped and she raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Keitaro, did you hear me?"

Keitaro did not answer right away, lost in thought. In the recent days, he had been contemplating more and more about his eventual inheritance of Hinata Sou. The more he thought about it, the more he began questioning the fact if he was even able to be a sufficient landlord and manage it correctly. It had started off simple enough, but now, especially as of late, Keitaro was seriously beginning to question his ability about being a landlord.

So much responsibility on his shoulders, and he did not even own the place yet. For now, at least there was still Granny Hina to deal with property taxes and all the legal issues.

Keitaro frowned. What made him think that he would be ready to own Hinata Sou? Did he even want it to begin with? Being a landlord was more of a distraction than anything…so was it even worth it?

"Why didn't Granny Hina leave Hinata Sou to you Haruka…or even my father?"

"Simple, I got the teahouse, your father got the bakery and you get Hinata Sou," Haruka puffed for emphasis, as though that explained everything.

"Yeah okay, I get that…but why didn't Granny give you or father Hinata Sou?"

"She's willed for it to be passed down to you since your birth, Keitaro. But as to why she chose you over me and your father, maybe its because…you're her grandchild so she sees you as her legacy?" Haruka shrugged. "I don't know, maybe you're her favorite, she always did have a soft spot for your ambitious nature, considering how me and my brother really didn't do much…either way, it doesn't bother me. I never wanted it anyway."

"Didn't my father want it?"

Haruka shook her head. "Though your _mother_ wasn't to happy about him not getting it."

Keitaro frowned. The thought of his mother possessing Hinata Sou bothered him a lot more than he expected, and surprisingly, it was more due to what his mother would do to the tenants, then to the actual house itself.

"Hey, Haruka, did you by any chance…" Keitaro hesitated, but gathered himself when Haruka crossed her legs, waiting expectantly. "When I was little, did you call me Kei-kun?" The vision of the younger Haruka vividly flashed in his mind.

She pursed her lips and thought about it. "No…no I don't think I ever did. Everyone else seemed to though, Granny christened you with it from the day you were born. She wasn't too keen on the 'taro' suffix that you were dubbed. That had been on your mother's insistence---she thought it'd be cute, naming you after a legend."

Keitaro could only sigh. Leave it to his mother and her fascination with grandeur. He supposed it had never occurred to his mother that he would be teased all the way through high school because of the name. The constant comparisons---mostly of how he would never live up to the legend he was named after---had made quite a few dents on his self perception. Still, it was _his_ name, _his _identity. It suited him in some bizarre mixed up way, and Keitaro could not imagine himself being named anything else.

"Haruka, is it possible…" He swallowed, and tried again. "Is it possible for you…could you check to see if Mutsumi stayed during…"

"You mean fifteen years ago?"

"Yeah…" A great surge of dread and anticipation welled up in Keitaro.

What had happened at the sandbox just barely an hour earlier had really shaken him and he severely doubted that he would forget about it anytime soon…if ever.

_The promised girl…Mutsumi could be…_

But part of him still refused to be convinced yet. He needed to be absolutely one hundred percent sure, no uncertainties whatsoever. If her name appeared in the guest records, then there would be no denying it as a coincidence any longer, he had indeed found the…promised girl…

It seemed more than anything that he was stalling, using this as another excuse. It was so weird that not even he fully understood how he felt. A part of him wished that Haruka never decided to look for the records, but there also seemed to be a deep-rooted desire that insisted---that obsessively demanded---to get this matter settled once and for all. To finally discover the truth…

And where would he go from there? Maybe…

"About that," Haruka looked apologetic. "I remember I said I'd check before, but I've been so busy---"

"That's okay, but could you check soon…it's kind of important."

Haruka smiled, clearly sensing that something was troubling him, but gave him his space. That's what Keitaro liked about Haruka, she always seemed to have this sixth sense of knowing when something was bothering him, but knew exactly when to prod him about it, and when to leave it alone.

"Sure Keitaro…I'll look into it."

Keitaro took a deep breath. He sincerely hoped Haruka didn't find Mutsumi's name.

He gulped the last of the tea and stood up to leave when another pressing issue suddenly occurred to him. "By the way Haruka, there's something else---another favor I have to ask of you. You see, should it so happen that Aoyama can no longer financially cover herself…" He glanced suspiciously to his side, wary of any potential eavesdroppers.

His voice had dropped down to barely a whisper and Haruka had to lean in to listen carefully.

When he was done, she pulled away. She pulled out another cigarette and contemplated. "Are you sure?" she asked finally.

Keitaro folded his hands and a strange glint reflected off of his glasses, obscuring his eyes. "Positive."

**-------------------------------**

It was a rarity this late in the year, but the late morning sun's rays shone shining brightly through the windows, warming the kitchen where the Hinata Sou residents were quietly finishing breakfast. Shinobu was at the stove, already dutifully preparing for lunch.

Meanwhile, the rest of the tenants sat around the table, the only sound being the clatter and clinking of their utensils against the plate. Ayame was with them too now, and although she was occupied the same table as them, she seemed to project such a solitary aura that it was as if she were isolated in her own personal corner, distanced from everybody else.

As he took another bite, Keitaro noticed how Kitsune's cheeks seemed to be peculiarly flushed...and he had gut feeling that it was not natural either. Every so often she would take a gulp from the small gourd. Now that he thought about it, he recalled how she had been carrying that thing everywhere with her. But he had never really bothered to pay much attention to it---that is until now.

"What're you drinking Konno-san?"

Kitsune slowly took the gourd away from her lips, her cheeks still full. She swished the unidentified liquid, and then slowly gulped it down.

"Does it matter?"

Keitaro's suspicion rose. "Yes, as a matter of fact it does. That wouldn't happen to contain alcohol…would it?"

"Relax, it's in an unmarked container, it's not as though I'm openly displaying anything to the _children_ here."

"So it is sake then."

"I never said it was…" she smiled slyly. "But then, I never said it wasn't."

By now, everyone had grown quiet and in unison turned their head back and forth as each of them talked.

"Can I see it?"

"No, you can't, it's my property, you have no right to…"

"But if your deliberately breaking the rules---" He blinked in surprise when Kitsune went from bold to audacious and took another purposely drawn out. At first, Keitaro thought that Kitsune's drink must have gone sour because of the way she stiffened in surprise. Her eyes were wide open, staring directly in front of her. Keitaro followed her line of sight and then stopped cold.

The very essence of tranquility, there was Motoko quietly eating her breakfast, dressed in her school uniform despite the fact that it was the weekend.

Everyone stared at her with very confused and somewhat anxious expressions, still not comprehending what it was they were seeing.

Somehow, Motoko had managed to slip into the kitchen, pull out a chair for herself, and even lay out a plate for herself---all of that, completely undetected by everyone. And she was almost done with her breakfast by the looks of it.

Su was the first to break the silence. "Motoko…are… are you okay?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you for asking, Su," Motoko calmly replied, taking in another spoonful.

Keitaro's ankles curled around the wooden legs of his chair, his calves flexing involuntarily.

Naru traded an uneasy look with Kitsune, and then leaned in, whispering, "Guess you were right… who have thought all she needed was some space and a little time to herse---"

A spoon clanged loudly onto the ground as Motoko suddenly jumped up, knocking her chair back slamming and her palms on the table. "Is there any way that I can supplement doing chores around the house as to pay my keep at Hinata Sou---?!"

Keitaro could only blink, leaning back on his chair, aghast. Even though she was practically at the other end of the table, Motoko's outburst was equivalent to a grenade going off.

"So Tsuruko-san isn't paying for you anymore?" Shinobu nervously chirped, and unwittingly shot not so subtle glance toward Keitaro.

Keitaro looked around the table. By now, everyone else had their eyes on him. Unable to stomach the unwavering focus of Motoko's intense pleading eyes, Keitaro uncomfortably rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was like he was passing some sort of judgment. Someone had to make the decision, and the tenants had made it obvious that it was **his** to make. Well, at the very least, he had the consolation of knowing they finally acknowledged his authority openly...somewhat, there was still the matter of Kitsune, but that was something best put off for later.

"The chores assigned here are part of your duties as tenants. You don't get monetary compensation for doing them."

Motoko's hopeful expression instantly fell. "I understand," she whispered, her shoulders visibly hunched as she stood.

"Hey, hold on a second," Keitaro demanded. "I wasn't finished yet. If you're really serious about working, go down to the teahouse, I'm sure Haruka will have something for you there, she's been looking for help."

He'd barely finished speaking and Motoko had already bounded through the lobby and out the front door at an astonishing speed.

"I guess that means Tsuruko really did disown Motoko," Kitsune murmured.

"She's better now…right?" Su asked, sounding strangely unsure of herself. When no one could answer, she did not try asking again.

The unusually upbeat atmosphere from the sun filled, well prepared breakfast had withered away. Even the sky outside was beginning to turn gray, the golden rays no longer filtering through the windows. A slight chill settled in.

The dreary mood was interrupted by a high pitched yowl from an unknown origin. The sound came again. Everyone's eyes met and when no one took responsibility, they immediately began searching.

Keitaro dipped to his side to look under the table and caught sight of a black cat climbing its way up Ayame's chair.

"Ah, Kuro-chan, where did you disappear off for all this time?" Ayame whispered softly, showing no surprise upon the furry little creature's random and sudden appearance. The cat let out a purr as Ayame scratched it lightly behind the ears. It then curled on Ayame's lap, falling asleep.

"You mean, that's yours?" Sarah asked, standing on her chair to see easier.

"Aww, it's so---so cute!" Shinobu squealed.

"Definitely too cute to eat!" Su agreed.

Even Kitsune and Naru were looking at it curiously.

Keitaro frowned. For some reason, something about that cat was gnawing at him. _Pointy long ears…bells wrapped around pointy long ears…black fur…_

He finally made the connection. A vague and forgotten memory gradually bubbled its way to the surface. An angry cat hissing at him as he stared at it, sprawled out at the bottom of a staircase. Gradually, the event rewound itself to the beginning.

It had happened after one of the study sessions at Mutsumi's apartment. Disappointed at a practice test, he was storming out, and had carelessly swung open. Ayame's surprised face was suddenly emblazoned in his mind.

That was it! That was her! That was where he had recognized Ayame from!

_And it was her cat that I tripped over…_

Keitaro sat upright again and regarded the Hinata Sou's newest tenant with a somewhat cautious puzzlement.

Ayame was now surrounded by the others, and looked like a frightened deer as she awkwardly twisted her head left and right, timidly answering what seemed to be a never ending onslaught of questions. Where did she get it? How long had she had it? Did it like treats? (Shinobu of course). Was it a boy a girl?

As Keitaro watched on, he realized that a major step had just been taken into integrating Ayame with the other residents. She had been accepted. And for some reason, Keitaro felt a small sense of fulfillment.

From the moment she had set foot into the house, Ayame had a radiated a very…aloof presence about herself. At first, all the tenants had tried to reach out to her, chalking it up to shyness and recalling how Shinobu had been very quiet at the beginning too. But even after all of their combined efforts (they had even thrown her a party), Ayame did not open to any of them, and instead kept to herself, locked up in her room which no one had been inside ever since the day she had moved in. But according to Kitsune who had managed to sneak a peak, Ayame possessed a massive wardrobe, ranging from bubblegum pop to chain-spiked gothic.

This of course led to a flood of rumors, yet all in all, Ayame seemed perfectly content with only herself as company and after a while everyone just gave up. Even the overtly prying Hinata Sou residents had their limits.

But it seemed now that finally the ice was broken. All because of something as simple as a pet cat.

Keitaro almost jumped back when Su and Sarah popped up right in his face. "Can we keep it, can we, can we..." they began chanting in a merciless unison.

Keitaro winced, motioning for them to calm down. As he took in the scene, he could not help but see the drastic change that such a simple thing had brought. The younger ones---Shinobu, Su and Sarah---their faces had lit up.

"Ryouzaki-san, since it technically is your cat, its your responsibility. There are really no rules against animals at Hinata Sou, so as long as you make sure to look after it, and it doesn't damage anything, then it's fine."

Ayame nodded, blushing as she met Keitaro's gaze.

By now, Keitaro had learned to simply shrug off her unrelenting reaction every time she looked at him. He took his plate over to the sink when a sudden notion occurred to him. _Just how did the cat get in to Hinata Sou?_

**-------------------------------**

Motoko pushed open the newly installed heavy oak doors and stepped into the empty teahouse, barely sparing a second glance to her surroundings and strode to the counter.

"Haruka-san," Motoko began urgently and then halted. She needed to choose her words carefully. "I was wondering if…if you would take it upon yourself to hire me for a part time position…?" Instinctively, Motoko found herself bowing. "I have many different types of qualifications. You know that I am diligent and hardworking and I am sure that you will find my work satisfactory---"

Haruka pushed passed Motoko, completely ignoring her. Motoko stood upright and pursued Haruka anxiously, stuck in an almost painful suspense. Clipboard in hand, Haruka seemed incredibly busy, systematically inspecting every chair, every table, and occasionally marked something down. "Head to the back, we're actually training our newest hire today too, so you haven't missed anything yet. And here, put this on."

Staring incredulously at the hideous white cloth, Motoko wordlessly slung the apron over her head, tying it as she walked into the now deluxe, industrial sized kitchen. Her eyes bulged at the two people she saw.

"Sakata Kentaro, and…Mutsumi-san?"

Mutsumi folded her hands in front of her apron. "Your working here too Motoko-san? That's so great! I just got hired yesterday!"

"Yes…great," Motoko said half-heartedly, slightly annoyed at Mutsumi's suffocating cheerfulness. "But what's he doing here?!" she demanded, pointing angrily at Kentaro.

"What am_ I_ doing here? I'm the trainer," Kentaro replied, miffed.

Motoko opened her mouth in protest, but then forced herself to keep her mouth shut. _Remember the vow…_ she reminded herself.

Motoko could hardly bring herself to believe that this was really happening. She dully followed as Kentaro gave them the grand tour of the restaurant, pointing out various things and providing them with the background information. They started at the kitchen and were given a brief overview, though Kentaro claimed that the majority their tasks would take place directly with the patrons. They stopped at the forefront of the restaurant.

"Alright," Kentaro declared, clapping his hands together. "Now the first thing on our agenda is to get this place in shipshape for tomorrow's grand opening. You two are going to set the tables…I'll do an example for you, and then I expect you to do the rest…so listen carefully, the napkin dispensers go at the side, the salt and pepper and placed next to it, the soy sauce goes in front, and the small vase with the flower goes in the middle as a decorative piece---so did you get all that?"

"The salt and pepper go in the napkin dispenser, the soy sauce goes in the vase and is placed as a decorative piece," Mutsumi quietly muttered to herself, and beamed, "Got it!"

Motoko sweat dropped, having overheard and gave Mutsumi a sideways glance. "Err…yes, I understand as well."

"Good---the boxes with each assorted item has been laid out, see you when your done," he said hastily and went off to the second floor.

Motoko gave Mutsumi a plastic smile, cursing at the fact that their work would most likely be doubled due to the girl's mix up, but to Motoko's utter surprise, once they got started, Mutsumi breezed by each table with ease, and it was perfect. Not only that, she did it all while chanting the garbled version of how the table was supposed to be arranged.

Once they were done, Haruka dismissed them, and Motoko returned to Hinata Sou for the night, hardly sleeping a wink, but this time because of anticipation instead of depression. She tossed and turned endlessly, imagining all sorts of things she might encounter the next day. Tomorrow, she began life anew.

She reported to the teahouse early the next morning, ready to get started with whatever they through at her, ready for everything except…

"We have to take their orders?" Motoko demanded in disbelief as Kentaro handed her a small pad. He gave a solemn nod. She looked at Mutsumi, who seemed not at all rattled by this revelation.

"Haruka-sama and I will handle the second floor, the bar, and the first section on the first floor, Mutsumi you handle the second section and Motoko you handle the third section." Kentaro offhandedly surveyed the area, apprehensively standing to attention when Haruka strode by. "We'll be opening in a few moments, prepare yourselves," he warned. "The morning is always the worse---and today's the grand opening."

"Waitress---me?" Motoko muttered to herself. Could she do that? A job could not get much more feminine than that right? Well, technically, Kentaro was a waiter too…

Haruka beckoned to them.

Kentaro tried to sound reassuring. "This is it, come on!"

Motoko nervously walked alongside an otherwise cheerful Mutsumi. Once they all got in their positions, they put on the biggest smiles they could, and Motoko braced herself for what was to come. Haruka walked up to the front doors, releasing the latch, and swung them open. In Motoko's fearful eyes, literally an ocean of people stood at the threshold.

"Say it now," Kentaro whispered.

"Welcome to the grand opening of the Hinata Tea Palace!" Motoko, Mutsumi, Kentaro, and even Haruka exclaimed in unison.

Taking that as an open invitation, the crowd all poured in at once, and Motoko just barely saved Mutsumi from being trampled, pulling her to the side at the last moment. Kentaro, however, was not so lucky, and was left eyes swirling, until he was propped up told to get back to work by an unsympathetic Haruka who had somehow managed to stay clear of all the mayhem.

The people were all seating themselves, and Mutsumi smiled at Motoko. "Looks like its time to get to work, are you ready?"

Motoko swallowed hard. "Of course." And as she approached her first table, Motoko whispered to herself, "Smile, and engage in pleasant conversation."

She was just a little nervous, but Haruka had said that was normal. Things would not be so bad.

Motoko could not have been more wrong in her life.

The customers were infuriating, ungrateful, demanding, and completely hypocritical. Whatever went wrong was always her fault. Even though Motoko kept a closely organized set and never mixed up orders once, she was repeatedly chastised for forgetting something or mixing something up. And all the while Motoko ran herself ragged, zipping through her tables, she noticed how Mutsumi constantly made it her life's purpose to learn about everyone's story; she could constantly hear the Mutsumi's light airy laughter across the restaurant, filling the air.

Haruka did not seem to mind at all, but Motoko took it upon herself to pick up the slack and finish with the tables that Mutsumi was not getting to. There was no efficiency in Mutsumi's methods. Needless to say, even as busy as Motoko was balancing all her tasks, the afternoon progressed dreadfully slowly.

Picking up what might have been her millionth order, Motoko turned to the side, pushing herself through the kitchen doors all the while gracefully balancing a tray with three orders at her fingertips. She stretched her arm, holding the tray toward the ceiling so that she could squeeze her way through a tight space.

"Here you are," she said, bending down as she placed the tray on the table of a family. Suddenly, every muscle fiber on Motoko tensed. Her eyes grew dangerously wide. Something had nudged against her rear side. With an almost audible snap, she slowly turned to see a man busily drinking his soup.

Motoko no longer heard anything else except the blood viciously pumping through her ears.

The offending appendage was his arm---his elbow to be more specific---_**purposely**_ sticking out in the aisle. As the man leaned in toward his spoon, his elbow once again nudged against her in the same exact place. This time, he seemed to notice it himself, and looked up in puzzlement, his mouth dropping in fear as Motoko ominously loomed over him. While she no longer had her precious sword, it was no excuse for men to think they could get away with acting perverted around her. She was anything but a helpless woman.

A few seconds later, the front doors of the tea palace were thrown open and the hapless soup-drinker was punted out of the teahouse. Satisfied, Motoko dusted her hands off, and walked back inside, her piercing gaze daring any other man to act so brash. After such a swift display, of course there were no repeat incidents.

Closing time eventually came, signaling what should have been the end of a disastrous day, but then Haruka called them to the back. Motoko finished wiping down the last of the tables and went over to Haruka, lining herself up beside Mutsumi and Kentaro.

"Here's your tips for the day," Haruka said, handing both her and Mutsumi envelopes. A big smile adorned Kentaro's face as Haruka handed him an envelope, only to go crestfallen as Haruka immediately snatched it from his grasp. "I believe that's mine," she said in a dull monotone.

"So much," Mutsumi whispered, holding a rather sizable stack of bills. "People are so generous here..."

Motoko excitedly tore through her envelope as well, and stared in bewilderment. She held a single coin in her hand. "I don't understand…"

Haruka shrugged. "I kept a precise tally of each of your tables; I'm sorry Motoko, that's all you got."

Motoko held the coin between her thumb and forefinger, squinting at it. That same oppressive feeling which she had been trying so hard to overcome and avoid was starting to build itself up again.

"Please take some of mine Motoko-san," Mutsumi said. "I saw how many tables you went through, you deserve this much more than me."

Motoko suddenly found herself trying to swallow a huge lump in her throat. "Mutsumi-san, I…I can't…" Motoko pivoted and bolted from the restaurant before they could see her eyes glisten. For the life of her she did not understand. It made no sense. She had done everything perfect. And worst of all was Mutsumi, rather than rub in her face like she should have, instead she…

Motoko shook her head, confused and disheartened.

_What did I do wrong?_

**-------------------------------**

Despite how much she wanted not to, Motoko forced herself back to the teahouse the next morning. It was more or less the repeat of the day before, and so was the day after.

The days passed by at a drearily sluggish pace, the midday shifts wearing down on Motoko. She could spend hours upon hours with her kendo training, and it would all pass by in the blink of an eye, but working at the teahouse seemed to make time drag so much. Well, at least she was making enough to be able to pay for the month's rent; Haruka had assured her of that. She even made a decent amount of extra money to spend on herself, which she put away for safe keeping. Just in case.

After a while, things did turn for the better as Motoko became more and more accustomed to her new surroundings. Eventually, save for a few exceptions here and there, everything settled into a routine. She even got used to Kentaro.

At precisely one o'clock everyday, Haruka would give them their lunch breaks. Now Motoko would have preferred to enjoy these in silent contemplation as she ate her healthy organic food, but of course, regardless of how many times she changed her spot, Mutsumi always somehow managed to find her. Motoko, of course, was too polite to tell her to leave and was subjected to having her ears talked off.

At first it was nearly unbearable, yet strangely enough, Motoko eventually found herself listening to Mutsumi with more and more interest than what she expected of herself. Her anecdotes were very entertaining, even though Mutsumi seemed to unintentionally exaggerate many things. As much as she wanted to resent Mutsumi, and there were plenty of reasons for her to do so, Motoko always found her heart melt at her kind (if not awkward) gestures.

Contrary to her fragile appearance, Mutsumi was an unstoppable bundle of energy, always bursting to share a new story about someone she had just met and was now suddenly her newest best friend---that is until they paid for their food and left. And while Motoko hardly ever spoke, the conversations were one-sided coming from Mutsumi, Motoko could did not even realize that she had developed a sort of a bond with her. Nothing big, just that she became accustomed to her presence…Mutsumi just kind of grew on her.

As the weeks now sped on by, Motoko saw just how dedicated Mutsumi was to making sure that everyone around her was happy. That laughter which had so grated on her nerves from before, she now realized set a peaceful, easygoing mood; their customers always seemed to be more relaxed.

But there were times though that Mutsumi's complacency became too much, and people became too familiar, or too comfortable with the Okinawawan. A line would had to be drawn eventually, Motoko realized, and that came much sooner than she expected.

Motoko had just finished taking an order when she overheard a few customers loudly talking to Mutsumi.

A few of the customers were appeared to be exceptionally rowdy and were giving Mutsumi a rather hard time with the order. One of the men brought out his hand to grab Mutsumi and that was all it took.

Before she knew it, Motoko had twisted the man's arm behind his back, getting a yelp out of him as she pulled it even further.

"Just what is it that you think your doing?"

The man let out a pained grunt.

"You're going to leave, and your going to do it now," Motoko whispered, just barely keeping herself from tearing the man's arm off.

The man's face contorted in agony and he quickly nodded. The second Motoko released her grip, he made a break for the door.

Motoko

"But..!" Motoko sputtered. "I was only trying to protect you…"

"Really, I'm okay," Mutsumi insisted in a soft, but firm voice. "Please, Motoko-san. Contrary to what you and everyone else might think, I'm not some fragile little flower that always needs looking after. I'm capable of handling myself and I expect you to respect that."

Motoko's mind went reeling. She struggled to come to grips with what was happening, Mutsumi was actually defending him?! Just how ungrateful could she be? A more rational part of her mind tried to tell her that Mutsumi was only trying to assert her own independence and had not so much as mentioned the man, but Motoko no longer paid any heed to it. Rather than a boiling anger, instead Motoko was left with an icy cold indifference.

Motoko got level with her. "I understand then. If you're going to willingly subject yourself to such treatment, then that is your own business," Motoko said coolly and briskly strode away. As of now, she was officially done with Otohime Mutsumi. Motoko's first impression of the woman had been right after all. Mutsumi was the very paradigm of a woman, through and through. Men would take advantage of her, an she would allow them to do so. A stupid choice, but if that was the way that Mutsumi insisted on having it, then it was fine with Motoko, she did not care anymore…she should have never cared in the first place.

However, as abundantly clear as Motoko tried to make it that she and Mutsumi were no longer acquaintances (if they ever had been that much at all), Mutsumi seemed to be cheerfully oblivious to it all. Motoko did not understand it. Nothing seemed to bog this girl down at all. She always carried on with everything in such stride, always a smile on her face.

Still, Motoko refused to have any part of it anymore, and during lunch the next day when Mutsumi excitedly sat down across from Motoko, the swordswoman coolly stood up and without a word left the Okinawan sitting alone at the table. It was harsh, but Mutsumi finally got the point.

After that, the only time they spoke to each other was if it was related to work. Empty words that ended in tense silences.

**-------------------------------**

Loud as Mutsumi sometimes seemed to get with some of the more talkative customers, it was ten times worse when someone she knew walked in. And while Mutsumi was prone to distraction, at times it became downright ridiculous. Today's familiar faces were two bespectacled men who had apparently attended classes with Mutsumi. They seemed to be laughing way too loudly at what was apparently an inside joke.

Fortunately, things were slow at the moment, so there were no complaints. Motoko was wiping down the tables and had just reached the one beside them. A most 'unfortunate' side effect to this is that she was listening in on anything they said now.

As Mutsumi walked away, Haitani sighed. "Just look at Mutsumi, she's so gorgeous…just look at the bounce in her step."

"Somehow, I don't think the bounce your referring to is in her step at all," Shirai said warily.

"Man if she wasn't with Keitaro, I'd totally---"

"She's _not _with Keitaro, remember? He even said so himself."

Haitani rolled his eyes. "He's in such total denial. I'll bet you anything if he saw me flirting with Mutsumi he'd totally fly off his handle."

Despiter herself, Motoko could not help but zero in on this and idly began reassembling the condiments on the table. She was not really eavesdropping; she just had to make sure the table was clean was all…

"Wow, and just look at Haruka's legs. Now if only those were fishnet stockings…you've got to love the way she just man handle's everyone, I'm actually kind of jealous of that Kentaro guy," Haitani swooned. "I wish she'd handle me like that, you know what I'm sayin'," he smiled slyly, nudging Shirai in the ribs.

Shirai groaned. "Do we have to go through this every time you're here? She's like old enough to---"

A mild twitch had formed on Motoko's brow, and as much as she denied---especially to herself---it was not so much the comment about Haruka that had stung her, but the one involving Mutsumi and Keitaro. She slammed the tray down on their table. "Excuse me, but this kind of lecherous talk will not be tolerated at this establishment, I'm going to have to ask you leave right away!"

Haitani looked defiant. "You can't do that, we're paying customers here!"

"Indecent behavior is unacceptable. I will not allow you to speak of such…lewd things about the staff here!"

Shirai helplessly put his hand up in a peacemaking gesture. "There's no need to get hostile here Miss---"

But Motoko had already snatched both of their collars and dragged them out the front door. She shoved them out, and the two of them staggered to their feet.

"If you come back again, I'll be forced to use," she futilely glanced at the emptiness on her hip. "…force!"

A hand clamped on her shoulder. "Motoko, what are you doing?"

"Those two were being extremely repulsive, Haruka, you should have heard the perverted things they were saying about you and Mutsumi."

"Motoko, they weren't hurting anyone, were they? And if they did do something that warranted such brash action, you come to me first, I'm in charge here, understand?"

Motoko's shoulders slumped. "Yes Haruka-san."

"I've actually received more than a few complaints Motoko, so shape up. You don't seem to be much of a people person. How about you try your hand at being a cook instead?"

A few minutes later, Motoko was standing in the kitchen, staring warily at the unfamiliar high-tech chrome stove.

"Here, wear a hairnet," Haruka said. "We can't have any hair getting into the food."

Motoko forced all of her hair betweem the met and got started on the first order. The cooking seemed simple enough. The recipes were very objective and straightforward: unlike people who were inherently unpredictable, this Motoko could handle with ease. As she set off to cooking, Motoko found some of the ingredients a tad unhealthy in her opinion and elected to make her own subtle renditions to the recipes. Surely they would thank her for going the extra mile, right? Motoko leaned in, scooping a spoonful of her soup. She let out a pleased hum.

_Mmmm…perfect…_

Despite what she had overheard the other residents say about her cooking, Motoko was sure that the customers would love it. Who knew? Maybe it was a cook that she was cut out to be after all. Cooking was definitely a feminine thing, right?

The first batch had just barely gone out when Haruka strode into the kitchen.

"Motoko, we've been getting a few complaints. The food doesn't seem to have any taste. You need to use some spices, add some flavor. Follow the recipes, no exceptions."

Frowning furiously, Motoko set back to work. Nothing she did was ever appreciated around here! She was throwing her heart and soul into everything, and nothing positive was resulting from it. Angry and frustrated, a sudden diabolical though occurred in Motoko's mind. Everyone seemed to be complaining that her food had to taste, right? Well if it was taste that they wanted, then it was taste that she would give them!

Grabbing some red pepper from the shelf, and salt from another, Motoko poured them into the boiling pot, mixing it all vigorously.

So her food was too bland was it? This would show them! She'd make something that would definitely leave their taste buds with something memorable. At this point, Motoko no longer cared about the ramifications, if Haruka decided to fire her then so be it. She had had it with this place anyway.

With a somewhat malicious sense of satisfaction, Motoko watched in anticipation as she wordlessly handed the dish to Mutsumi who took the dish out to the unsuspecting public. Surely, this would be what would end it all. At least she would go out with a bang.

Ten minutes later, the door slammed open.

"What did you put in that dish Motoko?!" Haruka demanded.

Despite her earlier intentions, immediately, Motoko began regretting her vengeful 'additions', especially under the withering glare that Haruka was giving her. "I…I…" she stammered.

"They send their compliments to the chef," Haruka winked. "Keep up the good work."

Motoko, who was already in the process of bowing apologetically, snapped up in puzzlement. "Good work?"

"Yeah…" Haruka said, already walking out. "Good work."

Confused out of her mind, Motoko repeated her same recipe for the next dish, and once again the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Before the end of the day, her dish became a hit. Everyone wanted what became dubbed as 'The Samurai Special'.

By the end of the day, Motoko was feeling unusually uplifted, that is until Haruka asked them to meet her upstairs.

"The first three weeks have passed, and its time for your performance evaluations," Haruka said. "Mutsumi, you're up first."

Smiling, Mutsumi nodded and followed Haruka into her office: a room which Motoko had never been inside before and had been installed during the reconstruction of the teahouse.

Motoko paced apprehensively until finally, Mutsumi reappeared. The gentle smile on her face was more than enough to convince Motoko of how things had went.

"She wants you to go in next, Motoko-san."

Motoko found herself hesitating to walk into the office. Suddenly, she found herself enveloped in an embrace, by Mutsumi nonetheless. If that was not enough, the next thing that happened truly made Motoko's jaw drop. Mutsumi kissed Motoko on the cheek, whispering, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Mu…Mutsumi-san," was all a bewildered Motoko could choke out before she was gently pushed through the door.

Haruka's chair was turned in the other direction. "Take a seat, Motoko, tell me what's on your mind."

Motoko sat down on the seat across from a sleek, glass-top table.

"What's there to say, Haruka-san?"

"You tell me. What have you thought of your experience here so far?"

Motoko folded her hands in her lap, staring at the wall. "It was…very inspiring. A new discipline that required a new set of skills that still complemented my own…" Staring at the wall, Motoko drawled on, waiting for Haruka to give her approval and cut her off. But when Haruka said nothing for nearly five minutes, Motoko finally faced forward and was surprised to see that Haruka was now facing her, a skeptical look on her face.

"Cut the crap. What's been going on with you lately?"

Motoko's eyes narrowed. "How can you say that?" she asked sharply. "You know very well what my sister---"

"I'm talking about here, at work."

Motoko fell back in her chair, knowing exactly what it was, but dreading to say it. Haruka just waited.

"It's Mutsumi!" Motoko blurted out, only half realizing what she was saying. "She's so clumsy, always falling over people, she always makes mistakes…and yet everyone adores her. I haven't dropped a tray once, I move flawlessly through the crowed and deliver my orders, I..." Motoko trailed off, her eyes widening at the slandering campaign that she had just held. What was wrong with her? How could she say such harsh things about Mutsumi? But they were all true weren't they? Every bit of it was true.

Haruka sighed. "That's just her personality. Mutsumi's very approachable. Her presence puts people at ease. And despite all the obvious faults that you mentioned, people like being around that kind of person."

"Why aren't I like that?!" Motoko practically shouted. "Why don't people like me?"

Haruka's voice never rose. "Why are you asking me that?"

"I…" Motoko stopped short.

"How do you act around others Motoko?"

Now Motoko began thinking of all the small incidences that had happened during the course of the passed few weeks. So many of them needlessly escalating over next to nothing. The sudden arguments breaking out. Her talking back to customers that complained. Her kicking customers out---with a embarrassedly recalled the man who had so innocently been drinking his soup.

_So how do I come off to others?_ Motoko almost fearfully asked herself. The answers almost immediately began popping into her head and most of them were none to pleasant.

"Mutsumi is not some definition of femininity Motoko," Haruka sighed. "You can't keep comparing yourself to her."

"Then to what? I keep asking myself why I dislike Mutsumi-san so much. She's one of the sweetest people I've met. And that gets me thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"I've always considered men weak and despised them, but do I despise women as well? Why do I seem to dislike doing anything feminine, anything that has to do with femininity? At first I hated the concept of being a woman because I always associated it with submission---submission to a man. But now I think it's because I know that accepting femininity means accepting being attracted to a male, and I refuse to let myself be vulnerable like that!"

"Being a woman has nothing to do with frilly dresses or trying to act womanly. There's a distinct difference between a girl and a woman, and it has nothing to do with what you _think_ it does," she hastily added sternly at Motoko's offended look.

Motoko's head fell, her face hidden behind her long black bangs. "There are so many changes happening, I always felt like I'm falling behind everyone. Su was beginning to grow up, no longer as childish as she once was. She no longer needs me to sleep beside her at night…everything is changing. Everything started changing, ever since---ever since **he** became the landlord."

"You know what I think is wrong, its not that everyone else is changing…it's that you're changing. **You've** been changing ever since Keitaro came here."

Motoko let out a slight gasp at hearing that. Her heart was starting to beat faster and faster.

"Swordsmanship isn't your only talent, I'm sure you've noticed a few other hidden ones while you here. Like cooking for example?"

Motoko smiled weakly. "I'd like to hope so."

Haruka gave her a smile, and for some reason, Motoko found herself feeling comfortable: reassured so to speak. It was a confirmation to her abilities; Motoko had not realized just how much she needed that. Talking like this with Haruka, it almost reminded her of the long treasured talks she used to share with her elder sister.

"There's nothing wrong with trying other things, you'll never know what you'll find."

Taking that as her cue to leave, Motoko stood up and had almost passed the threshold when Harukas spoke up again.

"You know, it's a good thing that you had someone watching your back."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Let's just say there was someone who suggested that I give you some extra consideration."

"I see." Motoko easily read between the lines, but her face never changed expression as she departed.

**-------------------------------**

"It's so hard waiting for food!" Su complained, fidgeting alongside with Sarah who was mimicking her movements. The two of them perked up when Shinobu emerged from the kitchen, however, the blue-haired girl only bared bad news.

"Motoko told me to wait here," she said, sulking. "She wants it to be a surprise."

Keitaro impatiently tapped at the table, wishing he had at least brought his book downstairs to study with.

An excited Motoko had practically begged to prepare a grand feast for everyone at Hinata Sou. Haruka had reluctantly given her the day off, but had sternly told her to return later on to help out with the closing. Proudly donning the Hinata Tea Palace apron, Motoko ushered everyone out into the den to wait and had fervently set to work in the kitchen.

Keitaro was practically stunned that he had even been invited, but Motoko had actually approached him specifically and told him to come; she seemed to be very anxious during her request, but nonetheless insistent that he come.

Everyone was now sitting cross legged at a low table which had been laid out in the den… 'patiently' waiting for their cook to finish whatever extravagant meal it was she was preparing. Eventually, even the light conversation which was being carried across the table ceased and everyone fell into an edgy silence, all ears perked at the faint sounds of the clinging of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. Suddenly, the noise stopped and everyone looked back, anticipating the announcement of their meal finally being ready.

There was the distinct sound of shattering, accompanied by a series of sickeningly piercing scrapes and a final clang.

A dense silence settled as everyone tried to sift through their bafflement and the next moment, they were all rushing to the kitchen. The sight which lay before them sent ice running through Keitaro's veins.

By the looks of things, he could have sworn that a violent hurricane had just passed through. Sharp pieces of china from the dishes crackled beneath his feet as he walked in, the others following close behind. Metal pots were strewn across the counter just below a sizable dent on the cabinet above, the food inside leaking out and dripping onto the floor. There were a few indistinguishable stains smeared against the wall and as Keitaro approached them to get a better look, his heart almost stopped.

"Is that…blood?" Kitsune whispered her face dangerously close to his as she peered at it beside him. Boldly, she reached out to run her finger against the fresh crimson stain. "Oh my God, it is!" she exclaimed in horror, rushing to the sink to wash it off.

A faraway stomping could be heard from the common room.

"I think she's heading for her room!" Naru said urgently.

A split second later, all of them were sprinting up the stairs, one after the other. Without giving any warning, Keitaro forcefully slid open the door to her room. His eyes scanned anxiously, but no one was there.

"She's gone, how can she be gone?" Su wailed, and Naru had to grab hold of the distraught blonde. So caught up in what was going on, nobody seemed to notice Ayame discreetly slip away from the group, her cat silently perched upon her shoulder.

Surprisingly, it was a rather composed Shinobu that pushed passed Keitaro, heading straight toward Motoko's armor. Once impeccably set and polished, the heirloom was now scattered in pieces, as though it had been carelessly torn apart. Shinobu kneeled and rummaged through each piece, checking behind all of them.

"It's gone," Shinobu whispered simply, staring at nothing.

Kitsune kneeled next to her, taking a sip from her flask. "Are you talking about…" she trailed off, motioning secretively with her hands.

Shinobu fearfully nodded.

Already springing for his next move, Keitaro had already ducked out of the room, Naru in tow. Apparently, the same exact thought had crossed their minds. In a matter of minutes, the two them were tore through the Tea Palace, pushing passed the customers.

"Haruka!" Naru began breathlessly. "Motoko, she's…she's…"

"She's gone!" Keitaro finished.

Haruka immediately seemed to catch on to the gravity of the situation by the sound of his voice.

"Is she here?" Keitaro demanded.

"No she's not."

Both he and Naru pushed their way toward the exit, but Haruka appeared in front of the doors just before Keitaro could reach out to grab the handle.

"Leave her be all of you---Keitaro," Haruka said specifically, sensing his defiance. "Trust me; she needs to do this alone---I mean it." The look on her face was lethal. "And besides, even if you go looking for her, I can guarantee you that by now, you can look anywhere and still won't find her in the entire city."

Keitaro still remained unmoving, and Naru seemed to synch in with his behavior, stepping beside him and unwaveringly meeting Haruka's piercing eyes.

This time, Haruka decided that words were not enough. She pushed her clipboard onto a baffled Kentaro who had just come up to ask about something, and laced a painfully grip hold of both Naru's and Keitaro's arm. "The two of you are coming with me until you can cool down."

**-------------------------------**

Listening to the rhythmic rainfall outside, Keitaro wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, and carefully read through the problem. His concentration had improved a lot but he still moved really slowly through the questions. He had to be quick, skimming through, but still retaining and properly comprehending all the important pieces of information. Accuracy combined with speed: that was the key.

There was the occasional roaring of thunder, but Keitaro drowned it out as background noise. A part of him wondered if Motoko was wandering around outside, alone in such cold and blistering weather. But he quickly shook it off, remembering what Haruka had said (more like mercilessly drilled) into both his and Naru, and then eventually all the other residents' skulls. And even when her ruthless threats seemed to lose their hold, he remembered the **promise** she had made to him, and that was more than kept him at bay.

His stomach tightened uneasily. Tomorrow, he would know for sure…

"The answer to that is…C."

Keitaro scribbled it down, but instead of checking to see if it was correct, he moved on to the next one, wanting to finish through the section before he self-corrected.

Unfortunately, his sleeping habits hadn't improved at all, not even after his discovery of how the insomnia was affecting him. Keitaro had lost almost all of his will to sleep ever since that bizarre vision of the promised girl at the sandbox. He was dealing with rather unconventional nightmares, being plagued by a little girl, rather than the usual instructors from hell, or demons and monsters.

But when he finally did sleep, it was always the same. He was sinking, always sinking, and he couldn't escape from the sandbox, no matter what.

Keitaro let out a satisfied sigh and let his pencil drop on the desk, checking the clock. It was a little passed one. _So that took me about thirty-nine minutes, give or take, I still have six minutes to spare._

He grinned. Well that wasn't so bad, but he could still do better.

Keitaro was going through the history section when he heard a slight knocking on his door. "Keitaro…?" There was a knock again, more urgent this time. "Keitaro are you awake…?" The door slid open and a groggy-looking Sarah tugged at her messy hair and walked in, dragging her blanket behind her.

Keitaro knelt in front of her as she sleepily rubbed her eyes. "Sarah…do you know what time it is? What's going on?"

"It's just that I…well…it's not a big deal or anything," she huffed. "But---" A faint light passed the room when another flash of lightening cracked, and Sarah flinched, gasping slightly. "I really hate these stupid thunderstorms." She stared at her feet, the dim lamp on Keitaro's desk on her face revealing a frustrated blush on her cheeks. "I figured that you might hate them too…?" She looked up at him expectantly.

Keitaro, his mind still mentally calculating the last problem he had been doing on the test, only half-heard what Sarah had said. He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm not especially fond of them, but I don't get where you're…"

"Can I sleep in your room for tonight?" Sarah blurted out at all at once, and then flinched again as the clouds rumbled.

"Oh---oh!" Keitaro finally understood now. _Poor kid._ "Sure, just grab my futon and set it up."

Sarah shuffled to the other corner of the room, timidly glanced over to where Keitaro's desk was, and scooted the futon all the way over until it was right next him. Doing her best to look prim, proper, and under control, she wordlessly lay down and pulled the blanket over her.

Keitaro forced down a smirk. "My light isn't bothering you, is it?"

"No…" Sarah murmured sleepily, turning to the side. "Hey, Keitaro?"

"Yeah?" Keitaro asked distractedly, pleasantly surprised that he had gotten another question right; a differential equation at that.

"You remember that night when Motoko's sister came and that one other lady showed up?"

This caught Keitaro's attention, but he kept writing. "What about that night? Do you know anything---"

"That woman we saw, I think it was Su."

Keitaro found himself relaxing. "Sarah…that's impossible."

"No, seriously," Sarah exclaimed loudly, suddenly sitting up on the futon. "That rocket launcher she had, I saw it in her room this one time I was there. The exact version. Its Su's…and….and she's also been working on some blueprints for this sort of rifle-looking thing too."

"Well, as long as she doesn't actually bring that into the house, it doesn't matter, she can draw it if she wants." Keitaro said distractedly, confidently checking through the numbers, pleased that the majority of his answers from the last practice set were all right…so far.

"Keitaro, it really was her."

Sarah's constant need to argue was really starting to wear him down. "Sarah, this is getting ridiculous. Think about it what you're saying. That woman was about a head taller than Kaolla. Besides, even though none of us got a good look at her, it's obvious that she had…her…she was much more developed…she looked older, with more---**womanly** features."

He could feel his face heating up. He never would have imagined that it would be so nerve-racking talking to a child.

"Womanly features?" Sarah wondered, confused for a moment. And then her face lit up. "You mean like her boobs?"

Keitaro unnaturally coughed into his fist. He almost envied how blunt children could be at times. "Err…yes, those count as…features. I can see how you might get confused seeing as how Kaolla shares such a strong resemblance to the woman. But that's why I think it might have been a relative---a sister perhaps…" Keitaro suddenly had a thought. Hadn't there been something in her profile about older siblings? He could not recall at the top of his head.

Apparently realizing that she was not convincing him, she huffed and fell back to her bed, angrily pulling the covers over her. "I'm telling you Keitaro, it was Su."

"And just how is it that she could have grown up so much overnight and than somehow changed back to normal the next day?" Keitaro asked. He could not resist one last tease. "You think it might have been magic?"

"Yes!" Sarah replied loudly, determined to get the last word.

Keitaro shook his head in bemusement. _Kids and their wild imaginations._ Transforming overnight…it sounded like something out of a fairytale. _I've gone through all the logical possibilities,_ Keitaro reassured himself. _There's nothing that I didn't consider…_

He returned to the answer key and checked the last answer. If he got this one right, it'd be a perfect score…

He sighed in frustration and ran his hands tiredly across his face, pushing his glasses up to his forehead as he rubbed his aching temples.

_Of course it had A, its just so damnably obvious that I had overlook it…I swear these test-makers do this crap on purpose, only a child would pick such an obvious answer… _

**-------------------------------**

Wearing her air-force styled jacket and a wide black umbrella draped over her to shield her from the heavy downpour, Haruka made her way through an open and rather rural landscape. Deftly avoiding the puddles of mud, she trekked down a wide grassy hill, approaching a small rundown building which looked like it had been forgotten about and deserted for years. Its heavy rotting wooden doors were bolted shut and covered with thick metal chains, bounded by an enormous brass lock.

"I should've just waited until tomorrow," Haruka grumbled. And she would have been more than willing to put it off had it not been for the damned promise she had made with him.

"_I know you don't understand why I'm not letting you go after Motoko, but if you trust my judgment on this and convince the girls too, then I'll personally hand deliver those records you've been pestering me about first thing tomorrow morning…so do we have a deal?"_

Haruka fiddled with the key, twisting it harshly to get the rusted pins moving.

The door loudly creaked open and Haruka stepped into the foyer, the musty air swooping onto her face. She turned on her flashlight and walked toward the stairs. Large networks of cobwebs dangled from the ceilings and the entire interior appeared gray and fuzzy, hidden under caked dust which had accumulated over the years. Undeterred, Haruka took care to be extra careful with her step since most of the wooden floorboards were rotting. She stepped onto the second floor and headed passed another door, entering a pitch dark room. She flashed her portable light source and spotted the switch, flipping. A weak light bulb blinked on, casting a dim light and exposing stacks of old documents and books.

"Let's see, according to what Keitaro said, she came about fifteen years ago," Haruka tossed the ancient books aside, each one descending down a year until she came across the one she was looking for. Blowing away a film of dust, she carefully opened the book, hearing the binding tear slightly as she did, and flipped through the tattered yellow pages, mouthing the names as she scrolled down the columns.

She was about three-quarters of the way through when her eyes lit up.

"Here we are, Otohime Natsumi and Otohime Mutsumi did check in, and it looks like the resided her for a few months."

Satisfied with the finding, she was about to shut the book when an icy shiver climbed up her spine, ending with a prickle at the base of her neck. The light bulb went out and everything became enveloped in a dense darkness.

In one fluid motion, Haruka jumped and swerved, pointing her flashlight forward.

"Who's there?" She asked, expertly sweeping her flashlight across the dull walls. She caught sight of a shadow, but it darted out of sight just as the light shone upon it. Then suddenly, the door slammed shut and Haruka heard a solid thud against the door.

_Trying to lock me in, huh?_

Scowling, Haruka tucked the old guestbook under her arm and charged. Her foot connected with the door, and its hinges snapped off as she kicked it down. An old dresser which had been placed in front to hold the door closed slid away, flipping onto its side.

In an angry pursuit, Haruka jumped off the staircase, and just as she made it to the corridor which led to the main entrance, she caught sight of the perpetrator making a run for it. Exerting the speed she had used much more in her younger days, Haruka closed the distance between her and the figure and reached out.

She managed to grab onto the figure's hair, but as tight as her hand was clenched, the strands slipped right through her fingers and the figure darted out into the horrendous storm. Haruka stopped just at the threshold and flashed her light. A dense sheet of rain made it impossible for the funnel of light to penetrate very far.

She then flashed her light at the single strand of hair that lay on her palm.

"Black…?"

**-------------------------------**

A/N: I extend my sincerest apologies for such an extended hiatus on this story and I do believe that brief explanation is in order, especially after the strong response I received earlier on. In short, I recently moved to Europe and am studying abroad. Due to the dramatic shift in environment and dealing with all the changes and added responsibilities and heavy workload from classes, it was and has been almost impossible for me to get any writing done at all. Still, I did continue writing little by little and finally managed to scrape this monstrous chapter together: the longest one yet, but I feel that it is my way for making up for such a long absence.

As for the previous chapters being deleted: that was due to a very small mistake on my part when I accidentally threw off the chronology of the chapters when editing and was forced to delete the chapters so as to not having a randomly missing chapter in between. However, I did not want to replace them right away as I know that alerts are sent when this happens and I didn't want to put up a 'false update' so to speak. So sorry if that inconvenienced anyone at all.

Finally, I'd like to address that I do know exactly where it is I want to go with this story and have a distinct ending planned and I am diligently working on the events that will bring the story there. There is no need to worry about any plot threads being left hanging. I made sure to go back and keep track of all of them and come up with a resolution for each of them as well. While I will continue to stick by my promise that this story will eventually be finished, I unfortunately can't make a guarantee on when the next update will be.

Moving onto the subject of Chapter 20: How did it turn out? I must admit that it's been far too long since I was in writing mode so I'm not sure how it turned out in quality, but that's not an excuse for it to dwindle. All comments and criticisms are always welcome and appreciated, both regarding the plotline as well as the style of my writing.

Thanks for reading!

Necromonger


	22. Unforgotten Heirloom

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters.

**Special Note:** Reading the Love Hina manga and watching the Love Hina anime is highly recommended to help you understand the events and characters that appear in this story. This fic is loosely based off of the manga and anime.

--

**Chapter 21: Unforgotten Heirloom**

"Manager-san! Manager-san, are you awake?"

Keitaro groaned, and rolled to his side, wincing as his ears rattled with what had started off as a gentle knock and gradually progressed into a raging barrage on his door.

A perfectly good sleep ruined yet again.

"What is it?!" he demanded irritably when he finally made it to opening the door, greeted with the sight of a flustered Shinobu trying to hold back an unruly Sarah.

"I'm really sorry Manager-san," Shinobu said, bowing her head slightly. "But Haruka-san called for you, she's on the phone…"

Shinobu gasped and she stumbled back, her hair fluttering in the wake of Keitaro having already flown down the steps.

"Thanks Maehara-san!" he yelled, glancing back.

Just as soon as Keitaro grabbed the receiver off the counter, he slipped, wrestling with the cord for a nearly a minute before realizing that he had only succeeded in getting it tangled across all four limbs.

Why did Granny insist on keeping things as old as herself? Cordless phones were invented for a reason! "Hey!" he strained his neck, shouting toward the receiver lying a couple of inches to the side.

"Hey yourself," Haruka's voice crackled through the receiver. "How's about you get over here…I got something that I think might interest you."

Once a worried Shinobu helped release him from the vicious snake of telephone wire, Keitaro miraculously was able to avoid Sarah's several attempts to tackle him and burst out into the open. His heart was already pounding from what he guessed was excitement, but even he knew that wasn't entirely true.

Haruka was busy with the morning rush and simply tossed him an old crumply looking book with a dry smile. "You know you could've at least made yourself presentable," she smirked. "You're going to scare off the customers."

"Yeah well pardon me, you know sometimes I need to actually **sleep**," Keitaro retorted, collapsing onto an open chair, giving an awkward smile to the bewildered man who seemed to have dropped the toast he was just about to eat.

"I folded in the page your looking for," Haruka said, "And you can definitely use more of that sleep, for all our sakes…you look like a Dracula reject…"

"Yeah well…" Keitaro shot back, but trailed off, his mouth opening and closing a few times.

Haruka smirked again, before walking off, leaving a trail of floating smoke behind her. "Find me if you need anything!" she called.

Keitaro returned his attention to the book in his grasp and nervously cracked open to the first page. It was the guest book signed by every person who had checked into Hinata Sou back when it was an inn.

His eyes worked their way up and down the columns of names, and then he turned to the next page. The fact that Haruka had folded in a page had already made it abundantly clear that she had found what she was looking for…what _he_ had asked for.

Still, Keitaro could not bring himself to turn to it, to turn to the crease that lay towards the end of the guestbook. As if prolonging would change anything.

So as it was, Keitaro readjusted his glasses and continued to read, on and on, seemingly thousands of names each etched on with a different handwriting, one after the other that held no importance to him whatsoever, and as he reached closer and closer to what had already been marked, that which had already been absolutely without a doubt determined--set in stone so to speak--his fingers idly traced the yellow, frayed edges of each page.

And at last, he turned to the folded page and slowly opened it, reading through yet another long list of names until…

_Urashima Keisuke… _He couldn't help but grin slightly. _So even when we came to visit, Granny had him sign his name…_

And then two names below that,

_Otohime Natsumi…_

There it was, clear as day. He sounded it out in his mind as slowly, as though tasting each letter before deciding whether to swallow or not.

"Keitaro-kun! It's so good to see you!"

Keitaro nearly jumped out of his skin, gripping the edge of the table to keep his chair from tipping backward.

"Ah, Mutsumi, " he sputtered. A bead of sweat trickled its way over his brow as he closed the book. He suddenly remembered his appearance. Damn! He should've at least changed before coming here, or at least done something with his hair! What did Haruka say he looked like again?

"I'm on my lunch break and…" She seemed a little sheepish. "Do you mind if I spend it with you?"

"No of course not--" He tried to slyly glide the book toward his lap. "Take a seat."

Not quick enough.

"What's this?" Mutsumi asked, glancing at the guestbook quizzically.

"It's…"

He sighed. Why was he attempting to hide it? Didn't she have a right to know?

"Here," He handed it to Mutsumi, and already an unseen weight had started pressing down on him, as though gravity had two-folded. "Look at this page."

He had to admit, he was curious to see what her reaction would be. Perhaps this was the spark she needed to help jumpstart her memory, though he wasn't one to talk. Not like he was any further along in the memory department.

"Oh look its my mom's name and ara…this name also seems really familiar," Mutsumi squinted thoughtfully. "But I can't seem to place where…"

"Let me see," Keitaro took the book. "Narusegawa Seto…Mutsumi, that's Naru's…last name!" He exclaimed happily. "I'm betting that was her dad or uncle or something!"

"Ah, Naru-san's? I never would have guessed…"

Keitaro sweat dropped, unable to suppress a laugh that clawed its way up his throat "How could you not? Her first name is basically part of her last!"

"You're smiling again," Mutsumi said, beaming herself, "I'm glad…you looked so intense earlier, like your eyes were going to shoot out lasers or something--I like when you smile Keitaro-kun."

That was rather blunt, but it felt awfully nice to hear her say it. Keitaro simply blinked and smiled some more. A part of him was fairly certain that Mutsumi had feigned her naïveté purposely. Great--now he couldn't he stop smiling… It was just a small compliment! His cheeks tickled.

"Oh--my break's over," Mutsumi declared glancing at the clock propped up at the far wall. "Back to work for me, I'll see you later then!"

This all seemed to have happened so fast that Keitaro sunk into a pit of confusion. That was it? That was all Mutsumi could think to say after seeing her mother's name in the guestbook? He had just revealed to her that they were one hundred percent without a doubt linked to each other in the past…why didn't this bother her like it did him? Didn't she realize what possibilities this brought up?

"Mutsumi--wait!" he called out. "Umm…I know your busy working here and whatnot, but if you happen to get the chance one of these days, stop by my room, there's something I'd like to show you."

"Of course," she flashed him a gentle smile and left.

Keitaro grinned, his mind drifting off as the chitchat of the people around him went from assaulting his ears to nothing more the faint white noise.

So it seemed that he, Mutsumi, and Naru had all stayed here during the same time fifteen years ago…

_I guess I should share this bit of info with Naruswgawa too…_

His lungs ceased to expand as realization struck.

_Narusegawa too…_

His eyebrows shot upward. BOTH Naru and Mutsumi had been here at exactly the same time fifteen years ago.

Which proved…well, what did that prove? Absolutely nothing--and that was the beauty of it! Since both of the girls had stayed at Hinata Sou during the same time period fifteen years ago, at this point it could be either one of them…or neither…

No longer able to sit anymore, Keitaro had shot up and started pacing.

One thing he knew for certain was that it sure as hell couldn't be the both of them, and that was what the little girl in his dreams had been composed of, the two of them fused together--weird as that sounded. Now that he thought about it, it seemed silly that he'd gotten so worked up over those unconventional nightmares, they meant nothing, they held no importance, they had no power and thus no control over him.

This rationale seemed more than enough to satisfy him, to relieve him. The earth seemed to return onto its normal tilted axis, and gravity seemed to loosen it suppressing force, so much that now each step felt like he was bouncing his way through the moon.

Obviously, he still had an obligation to tell Naru, but what she decided to do with the knowledge was on her conscience.

"You're still here?"

Keitaro stopped and looked up at Haruka.

"How're you holding up?"

Keitaro looked his aunt right in the eyes and smiled. "I'm…I'm doing good Haruka, real good."

He had a strong feeling that the little girl in the sandbox would not be visiting him in his dreams anymore.

**--**

"There you are Kitsune," Naru declared, finding her friend leaning against a wooden railing, gazing at the waterfall. "I've been looking for you forever, didn't expect to find you out here though, since when were you a nature lover?"

No response, Kitsune continued to ignore her, even as Naru called out to her again. Starting to feel irritated, Naru came up and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, didn't you hear me--"

Abruptly, Naru's hand was shrugged off, and Kitsune turned around to glare at her.

"What do you want Naru?!"

Naru stepped back, shocked. "Kitsune what's gotten into?" She eyed the flask. "That's really sake this time, isn't it? I think its starting to get to you, these mood swings…"

She trailed off as Kitsune grabbed the flask from her hip and chugged down two huge gulps. "So, did you need something?" she finally asked.

Naru absently tugged at her hair, deciding it best to just say what she had come for. "Yeah, actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'm not stopping you."

"Well…" Uncertain of how to start, she decided to go from the very beginning. "Remember when we first started off with that whole Operation Sabotage plan, and we were afraid that we'd get thrown out if he got into Tokyo U…"

"You mean the one _you _totally screwed up when you decided to help him instead?"

Naru inwardly flinched. That stung. So she still held her in contempt over that?

"Yeah…okay, fair enough. But you remember how we decided to drop it since I told you that he didn't seem like a threat at all, that his chances of actually scoring high enough to be considered for Tokyo U were practically nil?"

Kitsune gave a dry laugh, taking another drink from her flask. "He was a danger to himself, we didn't even have to do anything--yeah I remember."

"See that's the problem…" Naru hesitated, and turned to look out at the waterfall. "I lucked out with Haruka asking first…There's no way he would've refused to answer her…." She sighed, and she almost didn't realize it at first, but her hands were balling into fists. Naru looked down at them and almost lost her train of thought. She forced her fingers apart.

Kitsune seemed to take notice, intrigued, her eyes opened halfway.

"Apparently, we underestimated the hell out of him…Kitsune," Naru turned to her friend. "He got the highest score in the nation--in the history, on the mock exams."

"So?"

"So, what do you think we should do? Should we do something about it? There's almost no way he won't pass the actual entrance exams."

"Well, good for him, though it'll be a damned miracle if can pull that off again…wouldn't be surprised if it was a misprint."

"Kitsune, this is serious."

"What? Do you _want_ me to do something?" Kitsune sarcastically placed her hand over her chest. "Is _that_ what you want Naru? For big bad Kitsune to come up with another conniving scheme?"

Naru took a step back defensively. "Wait…no, what're you talking about?!"

"Well, why else are you telling me, you're not jealous are you?"

"No! Kitsune this isn't…" Naru sputtered, her head hung low for a moment and then she looked up to face Kitsune. "This has nothing to do with pride! I'm talking about all of _us_ here. You, me, Motoko, Su, Shinobu…this is our home. We _need_ Hinata Sou!" Naru realized that she was pleading now.

And still Kitsune remained unsympathetic, her tone cold and mocking. "But everything was okay while he was scoring entire percentiles below you, everything was fine and dandy then! But the moment he got ahead of you, someone like _him…_ as lowly as--"

"Stop this!" Naru shrieked, blood rushing to her face. "Why're you being so hostile?!

"And you want me to reinstate the whole Operation Sabotage plan again? Naru you were the one that was supposed to gauge him, obviously you were wrong as hell about him--what do you suggest we do to him, huh?"

"It's not like I want to hurt him or anything! You said yourself, if he gets in, we're all going to get evicted!"

"We won't."

The way Kitsune said it, that absolute certainty, all the emotions running through Naru suddenly seemed to calm, and was replaced with confusion. "What?" she managed to squeak out.

"I told you already, he won't do anything. But if you still feel the need to, go ahead, be my guest and come up with a new plan…but I'd rather not waste my time stressing myself over something pointless."

"But…what makes you so sure?"

"Trust me, I've seen his type before. He's all talk and no bite."

That was it, Naru had had enough. "Fine--you know what _Mitsune_," she threw up her hands in exasperation. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but you do what you want, just don't say I didn't give you a heads up..." Naru stormed off, "At least I have a home to go back to," she muttered under her breath.

--

"Keitaro-san, may I come in?" A series of light knocks paraded through his door.

Blessed slumber had finally reared itss head, and having it torn from him was a spectacular torture. The incessant knocking would have driven him mad, he would've snapped…that is, had he not recognized the voice behind the door.

_Mutsumi…_

Groggily, Keitaro tossed away a few clothes sprawled on the floor, and straightened the books on his desk, before he realized what he was doing. "Come in!" he called out, tugging his shirt straight, and put on his glasses, attempting to douse himself awake.

The door slid open and Mutsumi's head peeked through. She smiled.

Keitaro's eyebrows quirked above his glasses. "It only took you four whole days to take me up on my invitation, what exactly does Haruka have you do around the teahouse these days?"

"I know, I'm sorry…" Mutsumi giggled and pushed to door further open and stepped in. But then seriously, she said, "Ever since Motoko disappeared, I've had to pick up much more responsibilities, and well...I hope she's okay, we were just becoming good friends and then…" she somberly trailed off. "So what was it that you wanted to see me about?"

"Yes…that…" Keitaro rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "Here, please have a seat…and let me find it."

Actually, he already knew exactly where it was, considering that he had made sure to tuck it away in a safe place for fear of it getting ruined or lost again.

He let his fingers gently run over the smooth green cover. When he picked it up, his throat all the way down to his chest suddenly constricted, as though the air was being forced out of him. Was this a smart thing to do? Nobody besides him and maybe Haitani and Shirai had looked through it, nobody.

Mutsumi waited politely, and her ever present smile parted in confusion as Keitaro placed the green book into her hands. "I'd like for you to see this."

She must have intuitively sensed his strained manner, and looked in him square in the eye. "Are you sure about this?"

Keitaro was surprised that she hadn't even thought to ask what it was, but seemed more concerned in how it was affecting him. He nodded. "Just…please…"

"Oh my…" Mutsumi whispered softly as she opened it. "This…this is…"

"Remember the day we met…you showed me your print club book, and I told you that I had one too, and you said that you wanted to see it…I, I didn't forget…"

But why it took him so long to bring this up, that was something he preferred to keep to himself, especially because of how he still felt so on edge about this…what if she made fun of it? No, this was Mutsumi, he reassured himself, she would never do that, besides she too had been the same as him in his pictures…alone.

"That's sweet of you," Mutsumi smiled flipping page by page. "I had no idea your collection was so extensive." She giggled. "You look so cute in these!"

"Really?" he asked, utterly surprised, and Mutsumi laughed. There was no denying the fierce blush that crept up on his cheeks. Trying to play it cool, Keitaro waved it off, scratching his head. Where did he get off being so worked up over a simple compliment?

"Keitaro-kun," Mutsumi suddenly whispered and Keitaro knew what page she was on. "I would've never thought that you would keep this…"

"Why would you think that?" Keitaro asked, setting himself behind her and peering behind her shoulder at the lone picture adrift and seemingly floating across a vast off-white ocean.

Mutsumi's eyes started glistening, and she bit her lip. "Because…" she let out a shuddering breath.

"What do you think of us Mutsumi?" Keitaro whispered, his hand lightly grasping Mutsumi's slender shoulder. "Do you remember? Do you ever think about what it was like fifteen years ago?"

Mutsumi seemed to shudder and Keitaro held her tighter. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer.

She let out a shallow breath. "Oh dear," she softly mouthed before slumped back onto Keitaro.

"Mutsumi?" Keitaro's eyes widened as he tried to shake her, remembering to keep in mind not to be too rough. "Mutsumi?? Can you hear me?"

At first, he figured that it was one of her usual fainting spells and that she would be up and walking around in a matter of moments, but time seemed to drag on and she showed virtually no sign of life. This was serious, he had to get help fast.

So many thoughts were swarming towards him all at once at mach speed. He couldn't create any order of anything in his panicked mind. Why was this happening? Was it because he had gotten too close to the truth? He felt so weary all of a sudden.

"Somebody! Somebody help me!" He yelled and yelled again.

He dared not leave Mutsumi alone, she was helpless. He had to stay with her, he had to protect her. He kept calling out. Eventually somebody would hear him, somebody would rush in…somebody to…

"What is it? I'm here, I'm here for you," His red headed new tenant Ayame rushed in without preamble, gazing solely at him with an intense sincerity which made him feel strange and almost uneasy rather than reassured.

The girl was sharp, Keitaro had to give her that. She took what she saw for barely a moment and right away whipped out her mobile and called for an ambulance, and all he could do was cradle Mutsumi's head.

"It's my fault," he whispered.

"No, no it's not," Ayame said, placing her hand on his arm. Keitaro didn't notice.

"I shouldn't have pushed it. I shouldn't have asked,…why did I ask her? After everything, why do I still feel like I have to know?"

"I don't understand."

"Wake up Mutsumi, please wake up."

"Look at me dammit!" Ayame grabbed Keitaro's shoulder and whipped him around. Her eyes seemed to almost take on a shimmering quality, and from the nearness to her face, Keitaro could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. Had it been his imagination or had she inched toward him ever so slightly?

Ayame looked so hurt, so distraught, and Keitaro somehow _knew_ that she wasn't looking that way because of Mutsumi.

He looked away and the two of them sat in silence, Mutsumi lying in his lap between them, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. He stroked Mutsumi's hair idly.

Keitaro found it very difficult not to be intrigued by Ayame, but in a very cautious and suspicious way. This mysterious girl who seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere, lived under the same roof, and still managed to make it seem a though she didn't exist.

"Hey I wanted to ask you about your score," Naru said, appearing at the threshold of his door, and then she trailed off, gasping. "What happened here? Why are you holding Mutsumi?"

"She fainted," Ayame explained flatly. "And she's not getting up."

"Oh my God!" Naru went over to Keitaro. "Here let me--"

"Don't you touch her!" Keitaro snarled. Then he bowed his head shamefully. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean, I'm just really worried."

"Her medicine!" Naru exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" both Keitaro and Ayame exclaimed nearly simultaneously.

"There was this one time, after our prep class…I walked in on her in the bathroom," Naru explained. "And she was taking these pills, like capsules or something, I have no idea what they're for, but…but when she saw me she… I don't think she wanted anyone to know…" she trailed off, biting her lip guiltily.

"Where are they?!" Keitaro demanded. "You have to tell me where!!"

"I have no idea, that's all I know," Naru hesitated. "But I don't think they'd be of any help now."

Keitaro violently cursed under his breath. "Why would she keep something like this hidden? If she has a condition then--" He ran his tongue over his teeth in aggravation. "You know what? Forget it, we need to think of a solution, a temporary measure while we're waiting."

"What about resuscitation?" Ayame suggested, and then all of a sudden her face scrunched up in a very displeased manner.

"I uhh…" Keitaro felt is face redden. "I don't know how and…"

"She wasn't asking _you_ to try," Naru cut in, and in the background Ayame's shoulder's seemed to relax. Naru stretched out her arms, "Here let me."

Keitaro hesitantly laid Mutsumi next to Naru as carefully as he could, and waited. Naru leaned in on Mutsumi, placing her hand under the Okinawan's head, arching it, plugged Mutsumi's nose and then dove in, her auburn hair draping over her face. Just as their mouths were about to touch, Naru suddenly backed away. There were few awkward seconds and then Naru gave Keitaro an irritated look, clearing her throat.

"What is it now?" He asked, a bit irritated himself now.

"Well don't watch!"

"Are you serious?!" Keitaro snapped.

"Yeah I'm serious, you're a guy and I don't--"

Exasperated, Keitaro pinched the bridge of his nose and raised his hand. "Fine whatever, have it your way. Ryuuzaki-san, I want you to watch her like a hawk."

"Okay, okay, I didn't mean it like that!" Naru protested. "I just…I'd feel more comfortable if the **both **of you would please just turn around, face each other or whatever and not look. Please?"

If it would have helped Mutsumi, Keitaro would've very well agreed to drink sulfuric so he was more than willing to comply with Naru's condition.

"Just please do this right," he pleaded. _And please let be okay until the ambulance arrives_.

Naru nodded her head in affirmative.

Keitaro was content with simply turning around, but Ayame seemed more than willing to accommodate sitting across from him. Occasionally when she thought he wasn't paying attention, she would watch him with a sort of and awed and eerie fascination. He stared at the redhead dully, and she immediately looked away.

"Ayame," Keitaro began, catching her eye.

"Yes?" she breathed, it seemed barely controlled.

"I thought your eyes were green…"

She blinked confusedly. "They are."

"Well, they're brown now."

--

Still dressed in her Teahouse apron, now stained and torn, and fatigued by ruthless traveling, anticipation surged through Motoko's veins as she slipped passed the great gates. How long had it been since she had last set foot here?

She nearly stopped cold, overpowered with nostalgia as old memories swept her. A lot had changed since she had lived here.

"Oneesan!!" she called out, making her way through the large hall. She saw a flutter of hair round the corner under the polished wooden stairwell. Her sister's no doubt. But when Motoko got there she found the hallway empty. She then caught a fleeting glimpse of a hint of white and red robe disappearing through the threshold at the end of the hall.

_She's toying with me, _Motoko thought, her mandible clenching.

"Oneesan!" Motoko stormed her way through. "Oneesan! Come here and face me!"

And again, she saw nothing. Faster and faster Motoko moved, eventually making a complete circle as she found herself back in the large hall, swearing that she saw her sister's silhouette climbing up the stairs. She rushed over, but no matter how quick she was, no matter what path she took, Tsuruko continued to elude her, unreachable, unattainable.

Motoko began to question if what she saw was an illusion, but no, it was real, it had been very real her whole life, a culmination of her standing with Tsuruko, always behind, always feverishly chasing, always struggling to keep up, an omnipresent gap that only seemed to widen with time.

Motoko clasped her eyes shut in an effort to block it out. _No…no….NO!!_

Then she plowed straight into something soft. She staggered back, and opened her eyes, her mouth agape in disbelief.

"Oneesan!"

"Motoko, well this is certainly a pleasant surprise!" Tsuruko exclaimed, then sized her up. "You look terrible, what happened to you?!"

Realizing her frozen stupor, Motoko reminded herself why she had come here. "Where were--how did you…have…have you been here the whole time? Is, is this…I…"

Had that all been in her head?

Tsuruko cupped her cheek, a motherly smile spread across her lips. "Come, let's take a walk shall we?"

Motoko remained ridged with shock until Tsuruko gently ushered her. What, no threats? No chastising? Where was the malice her sister had brought forth upon her in their last meeting, had that already been forgotten? And dare she hope…forgiven?

And that just sent Motoko's mind wondering. Why had she come here in the first place? She wanted to be let back into the school but how was she to go about it? She had planned nothing, she had no ideas.

A class was being conducted outside in the main square and she and Tsuruko had to make their way around them. The regimens continued on without any interruptions, such was the rigorous discipline expected at their school. Still, it felt to Motoko as if every gaze was blazing holes into her. She had to make sure to time her movements so not to get whacked upside the head by a bokken, while Tsuruko somehow glided by with an ungodly grace. Motoko had a sneaking suspicion that the students purposely timed there strikes to avoid the headmaster.

"You could always return here, Motoko," Tsuruko said once she'd passed through, turning to her younger sister.

Motoko's eyes searched through the faces, utterly lost. She did not recognize anyone, not even the teachers.

"The past is the past Motoko-chan, you must learn to look beyond it to the future, and if not that then at least the present. It is never to late to repair a broken bridge. For a leader, the art of compromise is just as important to master as swordsmanship."

Motoko's eyes became downcast. "Oneesan, what happened then, it was unforgivable, it--I could never return here as long as he's here."

Tsuruko gave a heavy sigh. "Well, at least I can tell him I tried."

They visited the shrine of their late mother and father, offering prayer, and then came upon Tsuruko's manor, the house which had belonged to their parents and grandparents before them. Motoko's former home.

"Oneesan," Motoko started. "There's something I'd like for you to see." She slipped out a small book from under her apron. "This…this is what distracted me from achieving my full potential."

Tsuruko received in curiously and delved through the entirety of the book and as the hours lapsed, Motoko sat silently, and waited.

"You…you wrote this?" Tsuruko asked when she was finally done.

Motoko bowed. "I'm sorry."

Tsuruko lifted Motoko's chin to face her. "What for? For being human? For being a woman? Expressing yourself is not a sin Motoko-chan."

"But I express myself through the art of the samurai. It's pure." Motoko regarded the book in contempt, her nose wrinkling. "This…this is disgusting, it's filth, it's vile--"

"Foolish girl!" Tsuruko growled. "Have you learned nothing?! You continue to remain in self-righteous ignorance!"

Motoko kneeled and bowed her head low. "Oneesan forgive me, I beg of you, this is all I have, reinstate me in the school please! Don't take this away from me…"

"I figured this is the reason you came here," Tsuruko's tone became serious, she was speaking not as her elder sister, but as the headmaster now. "You committed a grave offense, you lied, and deceived, insulted my intelligence, and brought great dishonor upon our clan. Not only that, you refuse to partake in your duty of accepting the role of headmaster." She shook her head. "My dear Motoko-chan, I have see no reason to accept you and must decline--"

Before Motoko herself realized what she had done, she'd already lunged at Tsuruko's sheath strapped at her side, and drew out her sister's blade in such a flawless swoop that not even Tsuruko was fast enough to counter it. Within less than a heartbeat, she had the tip pointed at Tsuruko's face.

"Motoko…you…"

"Yes I'm wielding a blade--yours as a matter of fact…I will reclaim my honor, and no one, not even you, will stop me from doing so!"

"You mean to strike me?" Tsuruko's lip curled. "Do you intend to take my life Motoko?"

Motoko grunted, shifting her footing. "I don't know what I mean to do." She really could do it if she wanted to, just one accidental twitch was all it would take. It was terrifying prospect, yet exhilarating at the same time, having this type of power. The blade quaked under Motoko's grip.

"If your going to such bold statments, then you best be willing stand behind them." Tsuruko took a step forward.

"Don't move!" Motoko commanded.

"Such a ruthlessness is not something I'd expect from you Motoko," Tsuruko smiled. "You want this that badly?"

"More than anything," Motoko whispered, her face heavily contorted.

Tsuruko opened her mouth, but Motoko prodded the sword further, the tip of it touching against Tsuruko's throat. "I suggest you carefully consider the next words you speak, I've got nothing left to lose at this point."

The air seemed to grow heavy. Tsuruko's pupils dilated, and her eyes blackened. Her voice grew harsh and high pitched. She spoke through razor sharp teeth. "Such overwhelming passion I see rising within you Motoko-chan! Such strong emotions, but so negative: anger, desperation, pride, and dare I say more than a hint of jealousy?"

"But no fear!" Motoko declared, pushing the blade still further. A drop of blood trickled down Tsuruko's neck.

"Do you envy my strength Motoko-chan?"

"No," Motoko's eyes flashed. "I find it…inspiring," she let loose the blade, and it fell to the wooden floor. Motoko's temporary madness ceased.

Had then been the Warrior's Spirit within her? Had she finally achieved it?

_I don't have it in me…killing Oneesan, how could I even think to do something so horrible? _"This is finished, I am at your mercy Oneesan, do as you please."

Motoko just let herself go fell, but Tsuruko caught her and lifted her up.

"Motoko-chan, listen…" she appeared her normal beautiful self again. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you…I will agree to reinstate you back into your school if you defeat me in a duel."

Guilt ridden and ashamed, Motoko slumped. "I don't deserve--"

"Isn't this what you came here for? A second chance?" Tsuruko grabbed Motoko's face. "Enough with this drowning in self pity, enough with the wallowing in guilt, enough with the pompous self righteousness--enough Motoko-chan! You can't remain stagnant anymore, you must learn to change, to adapt, to evolve…to accept. That is where true strength is gained, that is the root of my strength. Learn this, and you shall succeed in defeating me."

Motoko took in a deep breath and exhaled greatly, hoping to purge herself of her follies, to let go of it all and begin anew. Remembering the proper way to address the school's headmaster, Motoko respectfully bowed. "I humbly accept your offer."

"There are no rules to this challenge, only one condition, you must enlist the assistance of Keitaro-san in your endeavor."

Motoko protested, "He'll only serve as deadweight, besides it's two against one, and that's not--"

Tsuruko, her eyes firmly shut with a solemn expression, raised her hand to silence Motoko.

"Only when you learn to interact and work together with a male will you truly ascend, Motoko, and it is the only option I will grant you. It is up to you to convince him to join your side. Here take Shippu with you and send a message once and _if_ an agreement is reached. I didn't say this was going to be easy, Motoko-chan."

"I understand Oneesan," Motoko bowed, and turned to leave.

"And just where do you think your off to in such a rush?"

"I'm…"

Tsuruko raised a critical eyebrow, smirking. "Not in those clothes your not."

Donned in a pair of new robes, her sister's crane perched on her shoulder, Motoko walked through a stone path between beside a gushing stream. In front of her on the left lay a magnificent sand garden where a shirtless man was sitting cross legged, probably meditating.

Motoko's footsteps died when she recognized who it was, not by the face for his head was turned, but by his back. Her gaze trailed the dark and thickened skin diagonally from the right shoulder slithering down to the small of the back. And she did this all the while remembering how it had looked when it was an open flesh wound, flowing in red...soaking her gi and hakama.

He turned to look at her, and Motoko, as much as she wanted to sprint off to any place but here, she willed herself in his direction, and his eyes widened. Was it fear?

Motoko felt disgusted with herself. But her newfound resolve was much to powerful to be scattered by guilt and shame. The time for apologies had passed long ago, all that was left was the acceptance that there could be no reconciliation.

The past was the past, she could control only to what she had to do next. She could only look to the future. After all, one day she would take over the God's Cry school, just as soon as she proved a few things to herself first. She could start by enlisting a new ally.

She knelt down in front Hayate and prostrated before him.

"What is it you want?" he whispered.

Motoko stayed that way, feeling the roughness of each grain as she pressed her face still further. Slowly, she lifted her head, her forehead and nose caked with sand. "I'm planning to fight my sister in order to be reinstated back into the school. I beg for your assistance Hayate-sama, if you'd be gracious enough to share with me anything and everything you think I can use to against her."

--

"So when's she getting out of the hospital?" Haruka asked, wiping down the table.

Keitaro was blazing holes into his history textbook, but could not bring himself to concentrate. "I'm not sure, they think she's a risk to herself at this point, neglecting to take her medicine and all…"

"Well, there's another worker down," Haruka smirked. "Looks like I'm going to have to kick Kentaro's ass into gear."

"Not funny Haruka."

"I was just trying to lighten the mood, well there's always--"

Keitaro slammed the book shut so hard it echoed across the room. "Why wouldn't she tell anyone about something like that? She has a medical condition that she's taking pills for and she hides it from everyone. This is Mutsumi we're talking about, the most open free spirited person on the planet! How could she not trust anyone? Didn't she trust…?"

"You?" Haruka finished for him. "I know you feel hurt Keitaro, but can you really fault her?"

Keitaro sighed. "I guess we all have fair share of secrets huh?"

"To the say the least," Haruka nodded, leaning against the table propped up by her elbow. "Maybe she didn't want anyone to worry about her, she must've had her reasons, who knows at this point right? Don't hold it against her. "

Keitaro slouched in his chair, Mutsumi's image running through his mind. "You're right I guess." By why did it still sting so much?

"Well, what about the guestbook? How'd that turn out?"

"I gave it to Naru after we came back from the hospital. Can you believe her last name written in there?" Keitaro wiped a small smudge of his lens. "It was her father, she confirmed it the moment she saw it. I'm not so sure how she took it though, I just kind of handed it to her and left. She hasn't spoken to me about it since, but I think she's been plowing through some old pictures, who knows maybe she remembered something…I mean, I sure as hell don't, and it didn't seem like Mutsumi did either."

Haruka offered him a cigarette, which surprised him, but Haruka gave him a wry smile that said more than any words could. He put it between his lips and leaned in as Haruka lit.

"I need to get my mind off this stuff," he said blowing out a stream of wispy smoke. "I can't bring myself to focus like I used to, it's like I'm burnt out."

Lighting her own cigarette, Haruka motioned for him to get up. "I've got something I've been meaning to show you."

She led him up to Hinata Sou, and they journeyed to the far side of the south wing. Even now, Keitaro marveled at just how enormous this place was, he hadn't really spent much time on this side of the dormitory. They came to a room which appeared to chiefly be used for storage, all sorts of boxes stacked to the ceiling, old appliances, and dusty furniture scattered about. Haruka disappeared behind a dingy old couch, and Keitaro leaned over, watching his aunt yank out a rather loose floorboard, and then reach below, pulling out a pretty normal looking sword.

"That's it?" he asked, a bit incredulously.

They pushed away the debris, making space for them to sit.

"This is the dark blade of Hina," Haruka's voice was almost ominous, and Keitaro had to suppress a grin.

"Dark blade huh?" he teased.

"I'm serious Keitaro," Haruka warned. "Don't screw around with it yet, there's a few things I need to tell you first."

He held the sword in his lap and traced his fingers across the smooth handle. In his childhood, he'd frequently entertained boyish fantasies of wielding a sword just like the samurai he'd watch in the movies. Seeing Motoko in action had brought them back again, and he fondly recalled in one movie how quickly a samurai was able to draw the blade. Keitaro's grip on the handle tightened. Well, why not give it a try?

_Just got to be careful to cut myself is all…_

Haruka's eyes widened. "Keitaro no wait!!"

SHIIING!!

In a rather crooked, but nonetheless fluid motion, Keitaro had drawn out the entire length of the blade…and then there was blackness.

_Ugh….what's going on? Why is my head throbbing, I can't see!! _He tried to move his mouth, to swallow._ I can't even talk! Haruka, where's Haruka!_

He tried blinking over and over, or at least that's what he thought he was doing. He honestly wasn't even so sure if he had eyelids anymore.

_Oh my god! I think I'm blind! _He thought, horrified.

He was about to scream when suddenly, he felt the presence of his right eye. Slowly, the eyelid covering it opened. He saw Haruka leaning over him, her mouth was moving, she was saying something to him, but he was unable make out any sound.

Haruka, the ceiling, the walls--everything, it was all in red, his vision was drenched in red, as though his eye was coated with blood. He rubbed at it frantically, but it only seemed to get worse.

And then there came a bone shattering pulse. Keitaro looked down, realizing that he still hadn't released his grip on his sword, and for some reason he couldn't bring himself to, he _didn't _want to…

Another pulse rattled him. He felt it at two different places at once. It happened again, and he fearfully realized that one pulse had originated from the sword, but at the same time he had felt it from inside him as well--his heart…

A piercing sound tore not his ears, but the inside of his head.

**I exist again! After all this time…**

Keitaro involuntarily looked down at himself, holding his arms toward him.

The shrill voice became disdained. **This body is pathetic and weak, however it will have to do for now. **It cackled. **Hahahahaha--let's have some fun shall we!! **Seemingly of its own volition, Keitaro's eyelone functioning eye turned itself toward Haruka.

**Kill…kill…her…yessss…I…I want…to see blood! Gushing blood! Spraying! Bathe in it!!**

_No, _Keitaro tried his best to fight it, to seize even the tiniest control of himself. _No, I can't! Haruka, get out of the way!!_

The urge, however, was nearly irresistible. A boiling tingle singed in his veins. Haruka was approaching him and the voice grew gleeful with excitement. The violent impulse was beckoning to him, over and over.

**Yessss, that's it…come to me so I can slit that throat!**

The most Keitaro could bring himself to do was to resist movement. Haruka reached for the sword and he somehow brought himself to pry his fingers from it. As soon as he let go, he underwent a sensation similar to resurfacing after nearly drowning underwater…or maybe a denser medium, like tar almost.

"Ackh!" He lay his hands against his throat whilst he heaved, and then keeled over.

Haruka helped him up, patting him on the back. He nodded her off, telling her he was okay, but then demanded, "What was that?! What in the hell just happened?"

"You idiot, didn't I tell you to be careful?" Shaking her head, Haruka sheathed it.

"Hey, how come it's not affecting you?"

"Because," Haruka said in a matter of fact tone. "I've already learned how to use it. Granny taught me."

"So what the hell was it?" Keitaro asked again.

"What you experienced right now, that voice, was a great demon that ravaged through Hinata City centuries ago, nearly decimating it. One of our ancestors, Urashima Hina succeeded in defeating it--hence the name the blade of Hina, and no it wasn't Granny, she's old, but not that old. Anyways, Hina-sama realized that the demon was immortal, therefore impossible to destroy, and sacrificed her life in order to imprison it within the sword."

Keitaro found himself on the brink of fascination now. He'd always known that his family had some history within the samurai, but never would've guessed to this extent. "How'd she do that?"

"Standing with her back to the demon, she plunged the sword through her heart, coating it with her blood, and in her final seconds of life, she pushed it all the way through her and pierced into the demon's heart."

"That's…that's amazing," Keitaro whispered, rendered in awe. Haruka was right, this was a refreshing distraction from all the things he'd been stressing.

"Keitaro, the only reason you were able to fight it off is because you're an Urashima, and like me, Hina-sama's blood flows through your veins. Anyone else holding the sword would've caved in and become possessed instantly unless they'd been highly trained to battle against demons--"

"You mean like Aoyama."

"The God's Cry school was originally for demon slayers." Haruka explained. "But even they can only keep it suppressed for a short period of time at best, _we _on the other hand, with enough practice can learn to keep it controlled." Haruka paused, and then locked with Keitaro's gaze. "It's yours."

Keitaro jerked back in surprise. "Why're you giving this to me?"

"Its an heirloom of sorts, although it's one that Granny hoped would stay forgotten, she left it here for safekeeping. It hasn't been taken out in almost a decade, she was the last one to actually master it…me? Well, I know more than my fair share of tricks with it, but I never was a fan of sword, I'm more of a gu--"

"I'm not asking for a history," Keitaro cut in sharply, "I want to know why you're giving this to me."

"Because I believe you!"

Keitaro's eyebrows shot up, "What?"

"Well, you know how you've been paranoid about someone sneaking their way into Hinata Sou? Well, even though I still don't think that the mysterious rocket launcher woman was affiliated with Tsuruko, you may be on to something…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that there's something going on here at Hinata Sou…someone that shouldn't be here has made it onto the grounds."

"Don't play games Haruka," Keitaro demanded. "Tell me just what's going on!"

"I would Keitaro, seriously I would…if I knew…but I don't, so just be careful okay. Use this to protect yourself and the girls if anything were to happen."

Keitaro cast a suspicious glance at the sword, as if it was going to spring to life at any moment.

"It was your first time," Haruka tried to assure him. "You were totally caught off guard and it overwhelmed you. Next time, you'll be able to do much better."

Keitaro had a hard time buying into his aunt's words. What he had felt, the utter lack of control, an insatiable thirst for blood, for murder…it was simply nightmarish.

"And remember one thing Keitaro, the sword can only truly belong to an Urashima, it shouldn't ever leave the family. That's what was ordained by our ancestors, and that's its destiny."

"That's just great Haruka," Keitaro scoffed. "Way to ease my troubles, you just laid another burden on me, as if I don't have enough to deal--"

He stopped short when Haruka grabbed him by the collar. "Do you want it or not? Because if you're just going to complain about it--"

"Alright, alright, I'll take it--geez," Keitaro reached for it, but Haruka grabbed it before him.

"Lesson one," she began, twirling the blade to upright position. "Should the sword ever happen to be out of your reach, call for it…and it will come to you."

"Show me."

His aunt smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said and flung the sword at him.

It did one full vertical spin in the air and just as Keitaro tried to duck in a futile effort to save himself, the sword halted in midair, hovering momentarily with its sharp tip less than a paper's thickness away from piercing through his forehead.

His eyes flitted toward Haruka who had her arm outstretched, her face contorted in sharp concentration. The blade quivered for a fleeting moment before it fiercely shot back toward Haruka who almost caught it with what seemed to be an incredible amount of controlled effort.

"The sword bends to an Urashima's will if its strong enough…trust me, if you want it badly enough, Keitaro, it will come to you--no matter what." Haruka grinned. "So what do you say about starting on some _real_ training tomorrow?"

For a second there, his bladder had almost involuntarily released. Keitaro let himself fall flat out onto the floor and let what was supposed to be a great sigh of relief but came out instead as a strangled breath.

Things just never seemed to get simple for him.

**--**

A/N: At long last, an update! My apologies go out to the readers of this story for seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth. I was studying abroad for the past nine months or so and felt in necessary to completely remove myself from the fan fiction scene so as to keep from getting distracting from my studies. I'm deeply sorry for not posting any notice.

Still, when I did get reacquainted with my account, it was nice to see that many people were interested, and the comments I received were huge encouragement to get writing again. As always, all comments, opinions and criticisms, any and all feedback is most appreciated and my plan is to keep writing for the duration of the summer so be on the lookout for update. )

On a side note regarding this chapter. I put a few spins on the Hina blade/dark blade, whatever you wanna call it. Hope it came out well! But will Keitaro be able to master it? That's the question, any hypothesis?

Kaolla was purposely not mentioned in the duration, but not to worry, what she's been up to will be brought to light in the next chapter. See you all then! )


	23. AN: A Final Thought

Normally I would be totally against posting an author's note as an update (there's nothing worse than expecting a new chapter only to see that its not), but I'm going to do it anyway---if it's that big of a violation then I'll reap the consequences.

First off, I must say that to this day I am still pleasantly shocked with the number people who still are following up on Keitaro: The Hater of Women. It's been over a year since I last updated and I still receive favorites, alerts, reviews and emails of people asking me when I'll update again.

My answer to this unfortunately is that I won't be updating this story anymore. To be honest, I outgrew (maybe that's a poor word choice but it's the best way I can think to describe it) Love Hina quite some time ago. I won't go into detail as to the why and how. I still hold the series dear to my heart, and credit it as the series that initially sparked within me the inspiration to write. The characters were, and still are, very appealing, and I loved fleshing them out in my own way as well as taking a romantic comedy story in a darker direction.

I apologize to my readers, especially since I repeatedly promised that I would finish it one day, but in reality I don't see that happening---and I don't want to offer the false hope that later on down the road I might finish it, because I really have given it a lot of thought, and this is not a decision I reached lightly.

Thank you again to those who read and enjoyed this story, it would have ended much sooner had it not been for your support.

For anyone who is interested in how the rest of the plot unfolded, I did make an outline for the remaining chapters and it's available upon request.

If there are any remaining questions and concerns, please feel free to ask. :)

Thanks again for reading!


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